All over again
by Little Horatio
Summary: DuCaine tidbits. Horatio's father comes back and beats the hell out of him. And when did Stetler became the good guy? Weird. CHAPTER 20!LAST CHAPTER!COMPLETE! A special surprise for those who have waited long and hard for this! ENJOY!
1. Coffee Cups

Title: All over again

Author: Little Horatio

Warning filled with: Angst, Humor, Tragedy, General, more angst, more humor

Summary: What will Horatio do when he realizes that his violent childhood is happening all over again? Will fear overcome him? Will he tell the truth to his friends? And when did Rick Stetler become the good guy?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters nor do I own CSI: Miami. This is just a fictional story with fictional characters developed by yours truly using her sick and twisted mind and imagination. Putting my creativity and imagination into good use…

Note: I have changed a lot of timelines, including the death of Horatio's mother. Instead of her dying when he was 23, I changed it to when he was only 14. It makes his suffering and trauma a little more intense and dramatic. I also brought up his suppose-to-be-dead father. Putting in Horatio's father has helped me capture the Lieutenant's true feelings about how he had dealt with his mother's death (along with the others) and how he had lived his childhood. I know it's weird but I've put Stetler in a situation where he ends up being the good guy for once. Don't worry he is still kind of an ass.

The main characters are as follows: Horatio Caine, Rick Stetler, Calleigh Duquesne, Eric Delko, Ryan Wolfe, Alexx Woods and Marc Anthony Caine.

Chapter 1: Coffee Cups

Leaning his forehead on his Hummer, he let out a long sigh. 'God, my head is throbbing like crazy.' he thought. Horatio closed his eyes and thought for a moment. Again, he woke up in three in the morning and had another bad dream, no, wait, a nightmare. Waking up early in the morning, he knew it was impossible for him to get back to sleep so he went out of his beach house and sat on the white sand, watched the distant ocean and the never-ending clouds. After a few hours, he went back in and took a shower, got dressed in one of his designer-labeled suits, went up to the living room table and got his sunglasses and keys for the Hummer, completely ignoring having breakfast.

He was used to being alone in MDPD Crime Lab, getting there awfully early before anyone else did was one of his bad habits. Even though he preferred to be at home, he knew he would have nothing else to do so instead go to headquarters to finish up on their cases.

Horatio got inside the break room and turned on the coffee machine. He stood next to it, leaning on the counter, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. His head was still throbbing and he felt exhausted for some reason. He knew it was because of his recurring dreams, correction, nightmares. It's been weeks since he'd have had some decent sleep and his chronic insomnia was not helping at all. It's been years and still his past haunted him. The death of his wife, Marisol Delko Caine, his little brother, Raymund Caine, Sr. and his mother, Katherine Ann Duncan. So many deaths of his loved ones he endured and he doesn't think he'll last much longer.

Horatio opened his eyes as he heard the coffee machine beep and took a cup that had "Lieutenant Horatio Caine" and sunglasses printed on it. He let out a little chuckle, remembering why the team's cups in the break room now had a name printed on it and each had different pictures indicating what their owner liked or had. It had happened a few months after he had hired his youngest CSI, Ryan Wolfe.

Horatio just went in the break room to get some coffee when he had heard the commotion.

"What is this doing here?" Calleigh snapped at Delko, holding a soaked coffee bag.

"What?!" Eric said backing a little.

"How many times do I have to tell you to never leave one of your Café Cubano bags in the cup?"

"What? Just grab another cup or something. We've got plenty!" Eric said, pointing at the container full of cups.

"Yeah. Plenty that smells like your Café Cubano!" she pointed out. "Do you know that not all of us have a liking for this stuff?"

Alexx and Ryan just looked at the two bicker meanwhile Horatio just stood where he was and thought of how things would progress. Ryan took a sip of his coffee and couldn't stifle his laugh anymore, looking at the two adults acting like five year-olds.

"And what are you laughing at, Mr. Wolfe? Mmm?" Calleigh said to Ryan, giving him a look.

"And what's with the lipstick, man?" said Eric confusingly, a little freaked out.

"Lipstick? What lipstick?" questioned Ryan as he brought up a hand and wiped his mouth. He saw red smudges on his hand. "What the…"

"So that's where my cup's been through," Alexx sighed, rolling her eyes. "Don't worry I don't need it anymore." She sipped her coffee.

"Wait! This is your cup?!" Ryan said, overreacting.

"Mm-hmm." Alexx answered, "Used to be."

Ryan gave her a crazed look and started wiping his mouth as if it touched something contagious. He put down his coffee on the table and kept wiping his mouth, looking somewhat disgusted.

Alexx shot him a look. "What's that suppose to mean? Is my cup too toxic for you, Mr. Wolfe?"

"No," he jumped a little, seeing her look, "I'm just not used to having lipstick on me or any make-up for that matter. Why didn't you tell me it was yours?"

"Why didn't YOU ask ME if it was mine?" Alexx shot back. "And WHY did YOU take a cup that wasn't yours?"

"Wasn't mine?!" Ryan said, not backing down. "I thought it didn't matter. I mean, come on, the cups all _look_ the same."

"Well, it mattered now," she said, putting a hand on her hip.

Horatio still stood there, hiding behind the scenes, not making a sound and watching his friends duke it out at each other. Secretly, he was enjoying every minute of this. He'd been resisting a grin the moment he reached the break room. 'Finally' he thought, 'Something to get my mind off work.'

"Delko, if you leave any of your Café Cubano bags in one of these cups again," Calleigh warned, "I swear I'll do God knows what."

"Calleigh, they're just coffee. Like what you're drinking," Eric said in a try-to-be-reasonable way.

"No, Eric, they're not just coffee, they're YOUR coffee," Calleigh said, now very annoyed, "And remember the last time you left one of your Café Cubano bags in here?"

"Yeah," Eric laughed and looked at Ryan. "Wolfe-boy, here, couldn't take the heat and couldn't stop twitching all day."

"WHAT?" Ryan exclaimed, "I DID NOT TWITCH…all day."

"Uh-huh," Calleigh said, raising an eyebrow. Delko was still laughing. His eyes were now watery.

"Shut up, Delko!" Ryan said to the man who was trying and failing to stop laughing. "I was not twitchy!"

"Oh, yes, you were, honey," Alexx reassured him. "All that and a lot more."

"You-You," Eric tried to get the words out, "You looked like a little bunny with OCD smoking a ton of crack."

"Take that back," Ryan threatened, pointing a finger at him.

"Oooh. Did I, Eric Delko, just hit a nerve?" Eric said mockingly.

"Now, Eric…" Alexx warned.

"Yeah, in your dreams, pal. Not even in Delko-Time you couldn't," Ryan said with a smile.

"WOLFE!" Eric shouted, now pissed off, "I told you to NEVER say that!"

"Ryan…" Alexx warned.

"Oooh. Did I, Ryan Wolfe, just hit a nerve?" Ryan said mockingly.

Delko was beginning to charge at Ryan when Calleigh caught him by the shirt just in time to stop him. Ryan gave Eric a boyish grin and stuck his tongue out, laughing. Now, that made Delko more pissed.

'I think that was my cue,' Horatio thought as things were now getting out of hand. 'If I leave them alone for another second, they'll really duke it out.' Just as he was about to step in, he saw Alexx gently put her cup of coffee down and put both her hands on her hips, looking pissed. Horatio stopped, 'Here it goes,' he thought, knowing what was about to happen next.

"Would everybody, please…" she said firmly, "…be QUIET!"

Everybody stopped abruptly and turned their eyes to Alexx.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" she said, looking at them disappointingly.

'Like the mother she is,' Horatio thought, straining on keeping a straight face.

Alexx continued. "Fighting over cups of coffee? Please." She rolled her eyes. "With the way you three have been acting—ESPECIALLY YOU TWO," she pointed out, Eric and Ryan dropped their gaze and look at the floor, feeling very scolded, "—I would have bent you two down over my knee and give you a good spanking for what it's worth."

Now THAT really made Horatio smile and he was now fighting off the urge to laugh out loud. He couldn't risk it and covered his mouth, wishing that the urge would just go away before he gets himself into the mix. 'This just keeps getting better and better,' he thought, struggling not to laugh, which he rarely and, I mean, rarely did.

"Now, Calleigh, apologize to Eric, Eric, apologize to Calleigh and Ryan, and Ryan, apologize to Eric," she said, waiting.

It took awhile but they eventually said or mumbled their sorry and the regular atmosphere in the break room went back.

"That wasn't bad, now, was it?" she said and saw them nod. "Now, what we need to do is to solve this problem like the matured adults we are."

'Adults? Yes, but matured?' Horatio thought, 'I am not sure.' He shifted a bit from where he stood, getting more comfortable.

Horatio hadn't realized that he gave himself away, shifting like that. Now, all four of them knew and felt his presence but didn't look at him. The three of them looked down and grinned while Alexx, lucky that she had her back turned, gave a smile that said 'Oh, you think you got away, huh?' to her teammates. All three of them saw Alexx's smile and theirs went ear to ear.

'Now, what are they smiling about?' Horatio thought, haven't a clue.

Alexx got herself together, her facial expression still away from Horatio. "Anybody have an idea on how to solve our little problem?"

"How about different…colors?" Ryan suggested, playing along.

"Yeah, what color would you like? Pink?" Eric said with a grin.

"NO!" Ryan exclaimed. Just then, Calleigh covered her mouth and coughed mockingly. Her cough clearly sounded a "YES!" Ryan gave her a firm look which Calleigh returned with an innocent why-are-you-looking-at-me-for smile.

"No," Alexx said, shaking her head, "Too plain."

"How about pictures of what we like, have or do?" Eric said.

"Please, Eric, you have got to have something better than that," Calleigh said.

"Oh, and I suppose you have a better proposition?" he said, raising his eyebrows.

"Well, putting our names would be identifiable enough, wouldn't you say?" she said and smiled.

"Yeah, but…where's the fun in that?" Wolfe said.

"Yeah, guess you're right," Calleigh said, thinking.

'Come on, guys, you're almost there,' Horatio thought.

"How about…" Alexx spoke, "we use all of it."

"All of what? The cups?" Eric said, not getting the drift.

"Don't be stupid, Delko," Ryan said. Eric gave him a look.

"Use all of it…" Calleigh lit up. "That's a great idea, Alexx!"

"Thanks , baby," Alexx said with a smile.

Delko finally getting it and said, "Yeah but who's gonna take care of it? The expenses, the time…"

"Oh, I know just who, sugar." They all smiled. Then Alexx said, looking over her shoulder,

"Horatio, honey, would you come in here please?"

Horatio's eyes went wide and swallowed hard. 'Uh-oh,' he thought.

"Uh-oh is right, honey," said Alexx as if reading his thoughts.

Horatio walked in the break room and gave Alexx one of his I-know-what-you're-thinking-but-I'm-innocent look. It didn't work. Calleigh, Eric, and Ryan, however, had a big grin on their face. And chorused quietly, "Busted."

Horatio heard that and he dropped his gaze and looked at the floor, knowing that he would get a tongue-lashing next.

"Did you really think that you could get away with watching free entertainment without getting caught?" Alexx said, shaking her head. "Did you? Lieutenant Horatio Caine?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yeah, right," she said, rolling her eyes. "What were you thinking doing nothing when two of your CSIs almost knocked each other's teeth out?"

Calleigh, Eric, and Ryan loved every single second of this. They love it when Alexx gets into her "mother mode" and starts scolding one of them, mostly they were at the receiving end but this time it was their boss' turn. Their boss looked like a ten year-old boy trying to explain himself of what he did and why he did it. They very rarely saw their boss like this, if they did, like they were doing now, it was like watching a free pay-per-view. The sad thing about it was there wasn't any popcorn.

"Well?" Alexx said, getting impatient.

"I…I thought you were doing pretty well and…" Horatio said, looking up, finding the right words to say.

"And you thought I'd settle it," she finished for him.

Horatio nodded. "I thought you didn't need my help," he said with a little smile.

"Well, I would've needed your help stopping dumb and dumber here. And don't you give me this crap that you thought I could've handled it all by myself," she said, giving him a very stern look.

"But you did."

"And what if I didn't?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

Horatio's head went down again. "I'm sorry, Alexx."

"Good," she said, turning to the three sniggering CSIs behind her. "And for not bothering to involve yourself in the situation, being our supervisor and all, you will handle the cups."

His head shot back up. "What?"

"Didn't you hear me?" she said. "I said you will handle the cups."

"Me?"

"Yeah, handsome, we'll give you the names and designs later." Calleigh said with one of her bomb-shell smiles.

"Good luck, H," said Eric with a grin.

"Yeah, H, and don't be cheap," Ryan said with a laugh.

"Now, is that clear?" Alexx asked, making sure.

"Yes, ma'am."

And two days later, they all got their individually unique coffee cups. Horatio's were blue for his eyes, a name printed on it was black and also printed on were black sunglasses. Calleigh's were yellow, indicating her hair, it has her name printed on it which was black and there was even a bullet printed on it, for bullet girl. Eric's were brown for his eyes, his name was in cream and there was a picture of one of his Café Cubano bags printed on it. Ryan's were black and there was a picture of a nail printed on it, which Ryan tried to call off before getting it printed but failed, and his name was in silver too like the nail. And finally, Alexx's were white, her name was in black and instead of a picture of a dead body—"Thank God it didn't!" she said—there were the initials M.E. And that was what happened. Since then no one had a problem finding a good cup to use only their own.

Horatio sipped his coffee and went to his office so that he could start looking at the files. He looked at his watch. It was almost seven o'clock. It would be at least another hour or two before the police officers, lab techs and CSIs would get here. He always loved the eerie peace and quiet he had before all the bustling noise would ensue. He grabbed his keys with his free hand from his pocket and was starting to unlock his office door. He opened it and darkness was all he could see. 'What will the day bring me this time?' he thought and switched on the lights. He waited a moment for his eyes to adjust and he went over his desk, got to the other side and sat down. He opened his computer and took a sip of his coffee. He then set his coffee aside and sifted through all the files on his desk. He took one, opened it and began to read.


	2. Don't Worry

Chapter 2: Don't Worry

Calleigh looked at her watch as she entered the break room. 'Mmm, seven-thirty,' she thought, 'not bad, too early though but what the heck.' She got her unique coffee cup and turned her attention to the coffee machine. She smiled. The coffee machine was already on and that only meant one thing, 'Handsome is here.' She took some coffee and decided to head to her bosses office for a quick and early hello. 'So much for being the first,' she thought as she headed off.

Horatio Caine groaned as his headache doubled. He put down the third file he was reading and supported his aching head.

"I am never going to finish any of my work properly with you throbbing every second," he said to his head and sighed, realizing what he just did was stupid. He buried his face with his hands and closed his eyes, hoping that his headache would lessen or just completely go away.

He thought about Adam, Pondering what the young teenager was doing. He had only met the boy a couple of weeks ago, finding him all beat up and bruised. They became very good friends for only a short period of time. Little by little, the young boy was opening up to him. Like Horatio suspected, the father was behind all the beatings. He gave him a piece of his mind and warned him that if he ever touched the boy again, the father will have him to deal with. The father went away for awhile to clear his thoughts and Adam was now with his grandfather. The jolly old man was very happy and willing to take good care of his twelve year-old grandson. It all ended well and Adam sometimes visits Horatio and his team at the Crime Lab, telling his new found friends how fair life was treating him. For Horatio, that was always good to hear. ng what the teenager was doing

Horatio was just about to doze off to La-la Land when a knock at the door caused him to open his eyes. He straightened himself out and cleared his throat. "Come in."

The door opened and the bright blond southern belle came in, holding her cup of coffee. She gave him one of her bomb shell smiles. "Hey, good morning, Handsome."

"Hey, Calleigh," he said, giving her a small smile, "Good morning."

"I see that my LT beat me to the punch again," she said, full of energy, walking towards him.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't be, Handsome. You know that I like a good challenge," she said, sitting down.

Horatio just gave her a small smile. Leaning back on his uncomfortable chair, he took a case file and opened it. He sighed.

"I know, Handsome," she said, reading his mind, "Don't worry, we'll get him."

"In time, I hope," he said. They have been working on this case for three days and with no luck. A young lady, Cathy Lynn, about twenty-nine, had been kidnapped and their time was running out. His mind raced through all the evidence they've collected and was thinking about what was missing. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, finding out what they may have missed.

Calleigh was watching his boss the whole time. She knew that he was having a problem and was desperately trying to find something out. He looked like he was in a bad mood and hadn't slept in days. She didn't like watching his boss all worked up this way. None of his team did.

"Horatio," she said gently, "You look tired."

"I, um…I haven't been able to, um, sleep lately."

"Well, take it easy, okay, Horatio?" she said with a voice full of concern. "I wouldn't want my LT falling asleep when we finally nab this guy."

Horatio chuckled and Calleigh was happy that she had been able to let her supervisor lighten up. "I'll try. Thank you, Calleigh." He gave her a nod which she returned with a bright smile.

"No problem, Handsome," she said. "Now, how about I refill your cup with some fresh coffee and we'll find a way to get our perp, okay?"

"That would be nice, Miss Duquesne, Thank you," he said.

"Don't mention it, Lieutenant Caine," she said and walked out of her boss' office along with his coffee cup.

A/N: I know its short but bear with me, please. Thank you…


	3. We've got him

Chapter 3: We've Got Him

The day brought nothing but less time and more pressure for his CSIs as Lieutenant Horatio Caine reminded them that the life of a twenty-nine year-old woman depended on their work. Horatio knew that his CSIs were working their ass off for the past few days but he couldn't let this young woman die simply because they were too late. They had another crime scene to process this morning which had some connection with their on-going case about the kidnapping and was hoping that they could end this case once and for all.

Eric came running out of the lab and went straight to Horatio's office.

"H!" he said, catching his breath.

"Make me happy, Eric."

"I'll do better than that," he said with a grin. "We got'im, H. AFIS points to a Henry Quinn, thirty-seven years old, and you should see his rap sheet. It's off the hook."

Taking the paper being handed to him, Horatio read out loud, "Henry Quinn A.K.A. McQuinn. Felonies are weapons trafficking, burglary, and grand theft auto and drug possession and assault. Says here that he's had several TROs including one Miss Cathy Lynn for stalking her 24/7. We've got our motive, Eric, now it's just—"

"Horatio, we've got him," said Calleigh barging in unannounced, holding a picture. Horatio and Eric looked at her. "I'm sorry for just barging in but I've compared the bullet we've got from the house and its striations were a match from what we've found at the park this morning. Both points to our suspect, Henry Quinn.

"Now, we've got motive and the weapon. We just have to—"

"Horatio," Ryan said walking in and suddenly stopped as he saw not only his boss but Calleigh and Eric as well, staring at him. "The piece of paper we've found at the park this morning leads us to an old abandoned warehouse, 1245 Flagler. It was used to be a factory for processing paper. It's been abandoned for almost five years."

"Okay," Horatio said, his CSIs were all ears now, their turn to listen, "We've got motive, weapon and place, all we need is the perp and Miss Lynn. Here's what I want you to do. Eric, call Frank and tell him to get the squad cars ready. Calleigh and Mr. Wolfe, I need you two to get these evidences in storage and get your guns ready. We're going to catch ourselves a criminal."

They all nodded and was about to do as they were told when Horatio held them back. "And people…" The three of them turned to face their boss. "…great job." They all gave each other a smile and Ryan and Eric high-fived, leaving a smiling Horatio thinking, 'We've got him.'

A/N: Well, what can I say? We've got him. Short I know. Any reviews, please?


	4. You saved me

Chapter 4: You Saved Me

"Okay, people, I want this dealt with as smooth and as soon as possible," Horatio ordered, unholstering his gun, "There is a girl's life at stake so let's avoid the spilling of blood, innocent or not, okay?" All of them nodded in agreement. "Good. Sergeant..." He turned to the SWAT leader. "…the cutters, please."

"Yes, sir," he said and ordered his people to get the bolt cutters and get ready to enter the abandoned warehouse.

Horatio turned to his CSIs and Tripp. "Now, let's get ourselves together. This man, Quinn, has already killed a number of innocents so I want all of you to be fully aware and alert of the situation. Get ready and be careful."

"Sure, H."

"You got it, H."

"Will do, H."

"Always, H."

Horatio gazed down for a moment and looked up again at his partners, his friends. "Okay, let's go."

Horatio looked inside the warehouse and everything was clear. He carefully entered the premises and gestured his team mates to do the same thing. It was quiet, too quiet, and the place looked deserted. Horatio went farther in, his gun at the ready. It only took him a couple of steps when they heard a gun shot. At that moment, they were as ready as ever, adrenaline pumping through their veins. All their guns pointed at the man who just fired his gun, standing next to a big slicing machine.

"It took you guys long enough," the man said, having no problem with all the guns pointing at him.

"Mister Quinn," said Horatio calmly as he stepped forward, taking off his sunglasses and placed it on his coat pocket, his gun aimed at the suspect, "Mister Quinn, where is Cathy?"

"Cathy? Oh, Cathy!" he said in mock surprise. "She's…" He pulled off the tarp that covered the machine's cutting table. "… Right here."

Cathy had been tied to the table and gagged. Tears flowing out of her eyes and the look of fear covered her face. She looked at the red-haired man holding a gun up and gave him a look of desperation. A look that said it all—"Help me."

"Cathy?" Horatio said, understanding her look, now walking forward only to be stopped by Quinn when he fired his gun again missing his foot by inches. Horatio quickly raised a hand to his colleagues to stop them from firing. His other hand still on his gun and still pointing at Quinn steadily. All of them had their finger on the trigger, waiting for an order from their boss or a stupid mistake from their suspect.

"Sir, put your gun down and drop to the floor with your hands on top your head. It'll be easier that way for the both of us," Horatio said, his gun pointing at Quinn's chest. "Sir, this is your last chance. There is no need for blood to be spilt."

"Oh, yes there is, Lieutenant, and there will be," he said, nodding, as he revealed a button out of nowhere. Cathy's eyes went wide as saucers and dreaded what would happen next. She looked at the big rusty blade hanging just a few feet from her and then she shot a look at the redhead. Now whimpering and tears streaming from her eyes, Horatio saw her and darted towards Quinn.

"SIR! Don't do it! DON'T DO IT!" Horatio shouted, knowing what would happen next. Quinn was taken by surprise and pointed his gun directly at the redhead and pushed the button with his other hand.

It all happened so fast that the SWAT, Frank, and the CSIs hesitated on whether or not they were going to shoot. Horatio dashed toward the suspect with full speed, blocking the suspect's view, taking him, all of them, by surprise. Quinn only got out three shots almost hitting it's target before feeling the hot piercing pain spread all over his body. The bullets fired by Horatio went through his shoulder and chest. Quinn went down, his gun, flying out of his hand.

Horatio continued forward before it was too late. He dropped his gun and took out his pocket knife, quickly flicking it open. Cathy was wiggling, struggling to get free before the rusty blade sliced her in two.

"Sweetheart, calm down," Horatio said calmly but urgently, climbing the table, removing her gag and started cutting through her bondage, "Calm down. Shh, it's okay," he said, trying to calm her down. Her hand went flailing the moment it got free. The blade made loud noises indicating its presence, she panicked even more. "Sweetheart, Cathy, please, I need you to calm down or we'll be both cut in two," he said calmly, seeing Cathy freeze at his comment, still cutting her loose.

"Go, people, GO!" the sergeant ordered and all of them ran toward the redheaded lieutenant and the motionless body.

"Okay," Horatio said as he cut off the last of the rope. "Here we go." Helping Cathy up. Suddenly, both of them felt the rusty blade above their heads shudder and Horatio had no choice but to push Cathy to safety.

"HORATIO!" they chorused as they watched the blade go down with Horatio still on the table, fast, clouds of dust filling the air. They waited in horror as the dust slowly got out of their view. Cathy came running towards them. Her eyes were red with crying and her hair was all dusted up as well as her garments. Shock and fatigue filled her eyes.

"The-The guy…with the red hair…he-" she said, struggling to find the words, "—he got…he's…He's behind the table."

Upon hearing this, three CSIs rushed to the other side of the machine, leaving Cathy momentarily with Frank Tripp who called the paramedics.

"Sir," said a SWAT officer to his leader while feeling Quinn's neck, "There's no pulse. He's gone."

"H!"

"Horatio!"

The three of them went to the other side of the table and saw their boss millimeters away from the rusty hellish blade covered in dust. Their face full of worry turned into sighs of relief and even managed to show a smile. They holstered their gun.

"Hey," their boss said, giving them a smile.

"Hey, yourself, Horatio," Calleigh said with concern, "We thought you died."

"You scared the shit out of us," said Ryan, sweating heavily.

"I'm sorry."

"Jeez, H!" Eric said, "That was some sick stunt you made. Well? Why are you sitting around there for? Let's go."

"I'm, um, rather caught it the moment," he said, tilting his head, showing them his sleeve under the blade..

"Oooh!" Eric said with the expression of something sour on his face.

"I got it," Ryan said and pushed a button. The blade began to lift up slowly.

"Thank you," he said to Ryan but his eyes quickly narrowed as he got his sleeve out.

"What's the matter, Horatio?" Calleigh said. "Did you get yourself cut? Or are you just pissed because you almost got killed?"

"No," he said, looking at his damaged sleeve, "I'm rather infuriated that my suit just got ruined."

"What?!" Eric said in disbelief. "You almost got cut in half and you're mad about your suit getting diced? I don't believe you."

"It was my favorite. Was, "he said to them. They all gaped at him and just laughed the whole experience off as they walked out of the warehouse and towards the MEs, Horatio dusting himself off and took out his sunglasses then went over to Cathy who was being taken care of by the MEs while Eric, Calleigh, and Ryan went over to Frank to fill him in.

"Hey," Horatio said and gave the young lady a small smile, "How are you feeling? Are you okay?"

"I'm…I'm supposed to be saying that to you," she said, a little shaken.

Horatio chuckled. "I, um, I apologize."

"For what?"

"For pushing you off the table."

"What?" she laughed in disbelief. "Are you kidding? You're apologizing for saving me? Don't be!"

Horatio smiled and nodded.

"Thank you," she said, her eyes watering again, "Thank you very much, for everything."

"There's no need, ma'am," he said looking down and back up, "We're just doing our job. If you want to thank somebody, thank those four individuals over there." He pointed at his CSIs and Frank who were now laughing. "They're the ones responsible for finding and rescuing you. I merely assisted,"

"Yeah, but…they didn't save me.You saved me."," she said. And before Horatio knew it, he was pulled into a huge embrace. His arms remained at his sides. She let go of him after a moment passed and gave him a sweet smile of gratitude.

"Thank you, ma'am," he said, looking down again, fondling his sunglasses.

"No, Lieutenant, thank you…"

A/N: I hope that was good. Don't worry, it'll be better. Trust me on this.


	5. Try to get some sleep

Little Horatio: Hey, people! I finally had the courage to come up in my stories and entertain you!

Horatio: Good for you, Little Horatio.

Little Horatio: (gasp!) Horatio! What are you doing here?!

Horatio: I just thought of dropping by. Sorry if I scared you.

Little Horatio: (a little relieved) Oh, no. It's okay, really.

Rick: (barging in and yelling) What the? Why didn't you tell me that you were interviewing Horatio? When I am CLEARLY the star here!

Little Horatio: But I wasn't inter—

Horatio: (cutting in) She wasn't interviewing me, Rick. I merely dropped by to say hello to our readers.

Rick: I'm not stupid, Horatio. I know what you're doing. You're trying to steal my spot light!

Horatio: (rolling his eyes) Oh, please, Rick—

Little Horatio: (leaving the two alone) Why'll Horatio and Rick, here, settle things, why don't I give the disclaimer for you guys? Eh-hem! I don't, in any way, own CSI: Miami or its characters. (Turning to the Sergeant and Lieutenant) Guys! Please! Stop it! You're embarrassing me!

Horatio and Rick: (pointing at each other) He started it!

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Chapter 5: Try To Get Some Sleep

Back at the Crime Lab, everybody was in the break room, their coffee cups raised. Calleigh and Eric on the couch, Alexx on the armchair and Frank, Ryan and Horatio, leaning on the counter. All of whom were laughing with the exception of their boss who was looking at his coat, still rather irate about his favorite suit being ruined.

"Well, team," Horatio said, setting aside his coat and giving his friends a smile, "Once again, a job well done."

"I'm proud of you guys," Alexx said, clapping her hands.

"Why thank you, Alexx," said Calleigh.

"I'm so happy this is over," said Ryan, collapsing on the couch with Calleigh and Eric, "I'm exhausted."

"Hey, you're not the only one," said Eric and drank his beverage.

Frank looked at Horatio. "You okay, H?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "I'm fine. Thank you, Frank."

"Aw, come on, H," Eric said, a large grin escaped his face and so did the others, except for Alexx. "You should be thankful, you know."

"Yeah," Horatio chuckled dryly, "Right."

"What?" Eric shouted, "Honestly, H, I don't believe you."

"Believe what?" Alexx questioned, not making any sense about this.

"Horatio almost got cut in half when he was untying Cathy." Ryan went on, smiling. "Cathy got off the table before H and while the blade went speeding down." He stopped when he saw the look of shock and disbelief on Alexx's face. Her eyes and mouth were wide open. Ryan continued. "We thought Horatio was a goner but he was alive and well."

"And he was pissed," Eric laughed and so did Ryan but quickly faded when his eyes wandered on his boss who gave him a stern look. Eric went on, "He saw his sleeve get caught and diced when he jumped off the table. He said it was his favorite." Eric kept laughing until he was elbowed by a giggling southern belle who pointed at a scowling redhead. He quieted. Frank laughed.

"Don't worry, H," drawled Frank, "I'm sure you can afford to buy a new one."

Horatio eased up and revealed a small gentle smile. Alexx came up to him and put a hand on his arm.

"Well, I, for one, am proud of you."

"Thank you."

"I mean, it must've been pretty hard for you to get your favorite suit ruined like that," she joked. "It's okay to cry, baby, I understand."

Everybody laughed once again. Horatio leaned closer to his medical examiner. "Ha-ha." Alexx laughed and slapped his arm. Horatio leaned back and hung his head, letting out a sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose and blinked several times. Alexx saw all this and knew that it wasn't just exhaustion nor did it have anything to do with their previous successful case.

"Horatio, let's go outside of the ruckus," she said as he lead his boss outside.

"Okay."

Getting away unnoticed was definitely easy. Everybody was so busy laughing and celebrating that they hadn't realized that they were two people short. That their boss and medical examiner were gone.

The two of them stopped as they got out of the break room. Horatio leaned on the glass wall and tried not to give Alexx any ideas, which obviously hadn't worked.

"Okay, baby, spill it," she said, not requesting but demanding.

"What are you talking about, Alexx?" he said, trying to sound that he hadn't an idea what she wanted him to say.

She raised an eyebrow and placed a hand on her hip, the same thing she did to her own kids whenever she wanted answers. "I'm waiting, Horatio."

"Okay," he said, seeing that he couldn't get a way out of this. "I… I haven't been able to sleep for… awhile."

"You've been having those dreams again, have you?" she said.

He nodded. "Its okay, Alexx. It's nothing. I'm just—"

"For how long, Horatio?" she asked, not buying it.

"Alexx, I just got caught up with the case files. It's really nothing to get—"

"How many days, Horatio? And don't you dare lie to me. I know you better than that," she said to him, her arms crossed.

Horatio couldn't help but smile a bit. Alexx truly did care for him, not only as a co-worker but as a friend, heck, even as family. He gave up, realizing that she was just worried about him.

He sighed and mumbled, "Try weeks…"

"Weeks?!" she exclaimed. "So that explains why you look dead on your feet for the last couple of weeks."

Horatio chuckled. "Was it pretty obvious?"

"Yeah," she said, dropping her arms at her sides, "To me at least. Listen, Horatio, try to get some sleep. You really need it."

"Trust me, Alexx," he said, "I've been trying."

"I know, baby, but try harder, okay?"

"Okay, Alexx," he said, giving her a reassuring weary smile.

"Okay, honey. Now, I know it's still early but I need you to go home and rest," she said.

"But…" he protested, pointing at the break room but saw the look on Alexx's face. "Yes, ma'am."

"Don't worry; they won't even notice that you've already left. If they do, I'll handle it." She gave him a wink. "I'll tell them not to call you 'til tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Alexx."

"Stop thanking me and get going," she said, turning him around to face the elevator and started pushing him.

Horatio laughed. "Okay, Okay! I'll go. You really want to get rid of me, don't you?"

"No, I want you to go home and get some decent sleep," she said, pushing him nearer the elevator.

"Okay," he said, holding the elevator door. "Good bye, Alexx, and good night."

"Yes, good night, Horatio. And get a good night's sleep."

"I will, Alexx, thank you," he said and waved a hand as the doors began to close.

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Little Horatio: Thank you for reading. I really appreciate it.

Rick: Come on, Little Horatio! You know he's only faking it! He's only trying to keep himself awake half the night so he could have all the attention!

Horatio: (glares) Shut up, Rick.

Little Horatio: Now, Rick. That wasn't very nice.

Rick: What?! You're just taking his side on this!

Little Horatio: No, I'm not, Rick.

Rick: Oh yes, you are! Why do you think you named yourself Little Horatio for!? Kicks? Ha!

Little Horatio: (sighs) Must we go through this again, Rick?


	6. Relax, Horatio, it's just a dream

Little Horatio: Hi! As a token of my sincere gratitude for those who have been reading my stories, I have taken it upon myself to hire the entire CSI: Miami cast as my disclaimer people.

Horatio: Hmmm?

Eric: You didn't hire us. JB doesn't even know about this!

Ryan: Besides, nobody's even reading this!

Rick: (glares) Shut up and let the young lady do what she pleases.

Little Horatio: Thank you, Rick.

Eric: You're just backing her up because you have a big scene on this!

Rick: That's right so pipe down!

Horatio: (hands on hips) Calleigh, sweetie, why don't you give the readers the disclaimer while I'll handle this.

Calleigh: Sure, handsome. (clears her throat) Little Horatio does not own any of us or CSI: Miami for that matter. Have a good time readin' y'all!

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Chapter 6: Relax, Horatio, It's just a dream

After getting some dinner, Horatio went straight home. Kicking off his shoes and went to his bedroom, putting his ruined coat on a chair and removed his socks. He sat on his bed and removed his I.D. badge, gun and gun holster from his belt and placed it beside his bedside table next to his alarm clock. It was only 7:30pm. 'A lot of time to get some good, peaceful sleep,' he thought. He got up and went to the kitchen, getting himself a glass of water. He finished the whole glass and went to his living room. He collapsed on the sofa and rubbed his eyes. He listened to the silence of his house and relaxed a bit. Glad, that he went home early as Alexx had told him to. His eyes were starting to get heavy now and he was more than happy to close them.

His head shot up and he opened his eyes as his cell phone chirped and vibrated in his pocket. He cursed, digging for his cell. 'What now?' He looked and saw someone's name, blinking. His eyes furrowed as he read 'Stetler.' Instead of answering the call, he put it under the throw pillows and even sat on them, muffling the sound. Ignoring his phone, he rested his head back on the couch. He closed his eyes, thinking about nothing in particular and drifted off.

He fell asleep as time passed and vague images began attacking his mind. His body tense and began to shake as blackness slowly swallowed his thirteen year-old body. His eyes struggled against the obscurity and searched desperately for some symbol of light. He let out a heavy breath as a fracture of light made its way under the door and relaxed him. He felt a warm sensation on his forehead and something trickling down the side of his face. He couldn't move his hands and felt something cold against them.

He tried to stop himself from shaking and brought his knees up close to his chest, curling up. He rapidly jerked his head up as he heard the all-too-familiar screams filling not only his innocent ears but the entire Caine household. The wire cut through his flesh, blood began to drip down his wrists. He failed to block out the man's harsh screaming voice.

"That boy doesn't know his place in this fucking house!"

"You can't keep doing this to him!" the woman begged. "Let him out of there now! He's just a child!!"

The man slurred harshly, "Just a child? The boy's fucking thirteen, Katherine!!"

"Stop it, Marc! Just stop it! You're drunk again! Can't you see what you're doing to Horatio? Your own son? Can't you see what you're doing to me? Please, you have to stop this! We love you, Marc!" she begged.

Horatio's body shuddered, hearing glass shatter and hearing his mother's loud shrieks. Her cries echoing inside his head, over and over and over again. He sprung up and charged straight to the door, ramming the door with his shoulder. He didn't hear his mother's voice anymore and rammed the door even harder with his already bruised up shoulder. He started to yell from the inside of the small closet, bloody images in his mind.

"Dad! Dad! Let me get out of here! Dad! Let me out!!"

He kept banging the door until he saw the light underneath the crack disappear. He froze in fear as the shadow drew nearer. A voice whispered cautiously from the other side of the door. "Big brother, please, stop it before he comes after you again."

Horatio was panting and trembling when he heard his little brother's terrified voice. "Raymund? W-Where's mom?"

"She's…She's hurt, Horatio. Real bad. She's n-not moving…"

Horatio panicked and started ramming the door again. He then took a few steps back and took a deep breath. He charged at the door, ramming it with all his might. Crashing and stumbling out the door, getting past his ten year-old brother, the teenager's eyes grew wide as he saw his mother lying motionless on the floor, covered with shattered glass.

He then saw his father, breathing heavily and holding what once was a bottle of vodka. The older man looked at his unconscious wife, his face was unfathomable. He slowly turned his head and eyed his frozen thirteen year-old.

"Get away from her!!" yelled Horatio, his eyes, showing no fear only anger and utter hate.

The man's voice was deep and threatening. "How did you get out? Your little brother took care of you again? I'm going to have a nice talk with him right after I'm finished with you."

Horatio stared at him with hateful eyes. "What did you do to her? And leave Raymund alone."

He grabbed Horatio by his shirt and laughed as he back-slapped him and he went flying back down to the floor. His father yelled, "This is all your fault! I wouldn't have hurt her if it wasn't for you! You worthless piece of shit!!"

Horatio slowly lifted his head up and blinked off the haziness as he felt himself being tugged up-wards from behind. His father grabbed him by the shirt, turned him and shook his whole body, screaming at his face now.

"You good for nothing piece of shit!! This is all your fault!"

He back-slapped him hard again and Horatio crashed down to the floor. He groaned and turned his head to see his mother's bruised face. He then heard his father take off his belt and that was never good to hear. He gasped and tried to crawl away, going for the stairs, his tied hands were a problem.

The father laughed loudly. "Get the fuck over here!!"

He walked towards Horatio and tugged him up, shoving him right back into the stairs, hard. He picked him up by his shirt and shoved him back again as the edge of the stairs dug into his back; the young boy gritted his teeth in pain. Horatio laid there breathless and groaning as his father laughed at him. The drunkard flipped Horatio using his foot and with one hand tore his shirt right off his back. Horatio tried to scramble again and the father grabbed a handful of hair now, holding him in place.

"Boy, you will never do anything that stupid again!! You hear me?! Or your mother WILL get hurt again."

Horatio grunted and pulled away, struggling as the father turned him again, holding his gaze now, trying to intimidate him even more. He clenched his teeth as his eyes gave the older man a grave stare. His eyes never wavered and he wouldn't ever give in to him.

The father grew furious. "Oh, so you are testing me! Aren't you, boy?!" he snarled, holding onto his son's hair still, as he slammed Horatio's head back into the steps. "You are going to learn why people suffer because of your actions!!"

He flipped the groaning teenager back over onto his stomach as his laugh echoed throughout the house. His arm rose up high and the metal buckle struck the young boy hard. It's cold and unforgiving end, striking the boy's back. The sound echoing as it made a sickening crack.

Horatio's head reared up in pain and he cried out, gasping. "Dad! Stop!!" His hands trying to get loose from the wires, blood gashing out as he gripped the steps. His breath left him quickly each time the belt connected again and again, harder every time it did. The thick square metal along with the leather strap left large red/blue welts on his back each time it connected. Breathless and exhausted now, he struggled with one word, "Dad…"

The father emphasized his words as he connected each time with the belt now. "Say you're sorry!! Look at your mother!! You're the reason why she got fucking hurt! Say you're SORRY!!"

Horatio's eyesight began to get obscure as the pain spread throughout his entire body. He gasped and squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the coldness of the metal and the stings of the leather strap connect over and over again. Soon enough everything went pitch black.

A tremor shot through his body as he bolted upright gasping for air. He looked around and swallowed hard trying to catch his breath. He exhaled deeply leaning forward and running his hands through his hair, thinking, 'What the hell was that all about.' He looked around and realized that he had fallen asleep on the couch. He raised his hand and looked at his watch. "2:30."

He shook his head. 'So much for good, peaceful sleep.' His mind was still uneasy and he wondered now on how he would sleep at all. He raised both his hands and stared at his wrists, checking them to see if they were damaged. He was still breathing unevenly and he couldn't get his mind of the dream. 'It felt so real,' he thought as he ran both his hands through his hair.

"Relax, Horatio," he said to himself, breathing heavily, "It's just a dream. It was only a dream. Calm down…Just…a dream."

He sighed heavily as he finally got his breath under control. He went off to his bed room and removed his shirt. He turned around quickly as he heard a branch snap. 'Easy, Horatio,' he thought, 'it was probably just a squirrel.' He nodded his head and fell on his bed. He laid there for a long while with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling and thinking about the dream. Finally, he couldn't fight it anymore as his eyes got heavy once again and slowly closed.

Slowly now, his eyes opened and he felt his back stinging, warm tears sliding down his cheeks and onto his pillow. He gasped and squeezed his eyes shut as he felt a burning numbness all over his back.

"Shh, its okay, angel, its okay," his mother's soothing voice said, as her gentle hands eased his pain.

He moaned in pain, trembling. "M-mom, you… ok?"

She chuckled and ruffled his son's hair. "Yes, angel, I'm fine."

"Where's…Raymund?"

"He's ok, Horatio. Just lie still and try to relax, okay, angel?"

He gave his mother a nod and closed his eyes. His breathing accelerated every time as his mother touched the large angry burning welts. He hugged his pillow tighter and pressed his face into it trying to bare the pain.

Raymund kneeled on the side of the bed and put his head next to his big brother's pillow now. He said in a hushed tone, "Big brother, you okay? You look like you need something to drink."

Horatio turned his head to see his little brother's wide eyes and worried face staring at him. He gave him a smile and nodded. "Yes, that would be great. Thank you, Raymund." His breath still coming in gasps as his mother cleaned his wounds. He realized that the metal bonds were now gone. He saw his wrists, looking bloody and battered and its skin dangling. He turned to his mother.

"Mom?"

She held him gently in place. "No, stay still, angel," she said, getting up and moved closer to her son.

Horatio couldn't help but feel guilty when he saw his mother's beaten face. "Mom…he hurt you—"

She affectionately caressed his hair. "Shh, its okay, angel, just relax."

"Mom, he… he said… it was my fault you--"

"No, angel. It's not. Now, listen to mommy and close your eyes, okay, angel?"

"Mm-hmm," he said, too tired to argue.

Horatio laid there and listened as his mother softly hummed a familiar tune to him. He always loved it when his mother did that; it took all his pain and troubles away. Ray enjoyed it too as he returned with a glass of cold water.

He whispered, chuckling, "He went to dream world again." He held the glass up to his mother now. "Mommy, you want some?"

Horatio's eyes suddenly shot opened as he heard glass shatter, followed by deep laughter. "Hey, boy, get your ass up!!"

Horatio gasped in fear and froze, afraid to move at all now. He heard the sound of his father's belt being pulled off quickly and he squeezed his eyes shut waiting now, trembling. Hoping this was just another dream, suddenly his eyes opened as he heard little Ray's voice.

"Daddy, please don't hit him again…please daddy." Ray asked pleading softly.

Horatio held his breath and prayed but was worried now for little brother.

His father suddenly roared, "Get your little ass out of here now! Before I beat the crap out of you!" Ray didn't need to be told twice. He ran away from the room as fast as his little legs could take him.

Horatio felt the bed decline and heard the mattress creak now as he squeezed his eyes shut again, praying for this to be a dream. Now a cold chill of panic and dread ran right through him as he felt his father's warm breath on his back. His heart was racing now and began pounding hard against his chest.

Suddenly, he felt his father's breath was near his ear, "Horatio, I'm waiting…"

"You had enough yet?" He yanked on his hair and but nothing escaped the young boy's lips. He yelled right at his ear now. "Still testing me, I see…"

Horatio clenched his teeth down and fisted the blankets as he glared at him with hateful eyes. His father laughed frantically and smiled at Horatio with satisfaction on his face. He grabbed his son by the waist of his jeans and yanked him off the bed. Horatio bellowed, trying to grab of the sheets as his father dragged him out of his bed room and in front of closet. Its doors wide opened as if welcoming its latest victim.

"Let GO OF ME!"

The father laughed and looked at his thirteen year-old son, again slurring his words. "You just don't know how to quit! Do you want your mother to get hurt again? DO YOU?!"

"Don't you dare come near her!!" the boy yelled as he was being thrown inside the closet.

"Sweet dreams, boy…" he said as he shot the door with a loud bang.

His eyes shot wide open and he bolted, sitting up straight, sweat covering his body. Breathing heavily, he covered his eyes with one hand, trying to get the pictures of long not-so-forgotten memories out of his mind. He slowly opened his eyes and turned his head, realizing that his alarm clock had been beeping. He saw numbers blinking, "6:30" Sitting at the side of the bed, he tapped the alarm clock and silence slowly filled the room. He shook his head, hoping to shake off the cobwebs. "That's the last time I sleep early," he said to himself. He not only had one dream last night but two and he did not like it one bit. A dream like that was hell enough but another one? On the same night? No, uh-uh. No way. Not going to happen again.

After getting a nice hot shower and some breakfast, he got out of his beach house and locked the door. Turning around, he heard something brush past some hedges then he had a feeling that somebody was watching him. Vigilant and alert now, he walked off his front porch and stood on the sidewalk, the sun's rays spilling on his face, black suit and blue shirt. He looked over his surroundings and absorb everything his eyes came in contact with. 'Maybe I'm just tired,' he thought, 'I've been a little jumpy lately. Yup, just tired.' Sounding convinced with himself, he shrugged the feeling off and walked towards his Hummer. He put his sunglasses on. Starting Hummer H2, he drove off to the MDPD Crime Lab.

Little Horatio: Phew! Now, that I have gotten rid of Ryan, Calleigh and Eric for a moment, don't hesitate to leave a review.

Rick: This is stupid! Who cares about Horatio having a harsh childhood? There are more important things to worry about.

Little Horatio: Like what?

Rick: ME!

Horatio: (trembling and teary-eyed) Shut up, Rick! You have no idea what I've been through!

Little Horatio: (rubbing Horatio's back) Shh…its okay, Horatio. Let it out.

Horatio: (sobbing) Dad always did blame me for everything!

Rick:...? Get a grip, Horatio!

Little Horatio: (still rubbing Horatio's back) Rick, I think you should stand at the corner and think about what you've done.

Rick: WHAT?! But--

Little Horatio: No, buts, Rick, now go!

Rick: (going to the corner, mumbling) this is sooo unfair...

Little Horatio: Nor is me giving you a big role in this story!


	7. Give me your gun

Little Horatio: Hey! Here with me is Rick and Eric. And as for the story, Horatio finds something really old—no, not my great-grandmother--and Rick and Horatio will have a confrontation, it involves Rick taking away something important from Eric's boss.

Rick: (arms raised in victory) Yes!! Woohoo!

Eric: Don't get your hopes up, SERGEANT. (turning around) Little Horatio doesn't own me, Woohoo-boy here and any of the CSI: Miami cast for that matter. And THANK GOD she doesn't!

Little Horatio: (smirks) That's what you think…

Eric: What did you say?

Little Horatio: Oh, nothing, don't mind me. (turning around and dialing on my cell, whispering) Hey, JB, about the CSI: Miami crew…

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Chapter 7: Give Me Your Gun

Calleigh entered the break room, yawning. Her nose, filled with the aroma of good coffee in the morning. "Hmmm," she said, getting her coffee cup and got some for herself, "Coffee."

"Good morning to you too, Miss Duquesne," said the Cuban and sipped his coffee.

"Hey there, Eric, and good morning!" she said cheerfully and patted him on the shoulder.

Eric laughed and shook his head, "You have to tell me where you get your energy from every morning."

"It must be a southern thing," she said, looking like she was thinking. She sipped some of her coffee. "Hmmm."

Eric chuckled, "Must be."

"Good morning, everyone," Ryan said, rushing towards them and got his coffee cup, took some coffee and quickly drank all of it. "Ahh. That hits the spot."

Calleigh gave him a weird look. "Good morning, too, Ryan."

Eric face was quickly covered by a grin, meaning he had something up his sleeve. "You shouldn't have done that, Wolfe."

"Done what?" he asked, sipping the little remainder of his coffee.

"Dude! You just drank a cup load of Café Cubano!! In one gulp!"

Ryan spewed out his coffee. "WHAT?!"

"Eww! Gross, Ryan!" Calleigh shouted, jumping out of the way. "You almost hit me!"

Ryan started shaking like a leaf. "No, no, no…"

Eric burst out laughing and whacked Ryan's back. "Relax, man! It's not Café Cubano! I'm just playing with you!"

Ryan glared at Eric and shouted through gritted teeth, "DELKO!"

"Take it easy, man," Eric said in between snorts, putting his hands up, "I'm just messing with you."

"That was NOT FUNNY!" roared the youngest CSI, obviously pissed off. He turned his head and saw Calleigh stifle a laugh in vain. She smiled at him and gave him an innocent look, saying, "Yes?"

"I can't believe you guys!" Ryan said, blinking angrily. "Playing a trick on me early in the morning? What's the matter with you two?"

"Hey, I have nothing to do with this," Calleigh told the rather irate CSI. "Besides, aren't you glad that Eric found a new way of making you alert early in the morning without the involvement of caffeine?"

"Oh yeah, right, gee, thanks, Eric, I really appreciate the scare," Ryan said sarcastically. "You should be ashamed!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, Ryan," Eric said apologetically but still smiling. "Now, stop it, will you? You're beginning to sound like Alexx."

And as if on cue, Alexx strolled in the break room. "Good morning, guys."

"Good morning, Alexx," they chorused.

Alexx looked at Wolfe while she got herself some coffee. "Why are you screaming early in the morning, baby?"

"Cubano boy here played a nasty trick on poor little Ryan," Calleigh answered for him, laughing.

Alexx shot a look at Eric which he returned with a smile of innocence. "I just woke him up, that's all, I swear! It was funny!" he confessed, laughing.

"No, it was not funny!" said Ryan as he wiped the floor clean with a mop. Setting it aside, he warned, "I'll get you for this."

"Oooh, I'm scared," Eric said mockingly.

Ryan gave him a fixed stare as he refilled his cup with coffee. Calleigh settled herself on the sofa and so did Eric.

"Have you guys seen Horatio?" Alexx asked and sipped some coffee.

"No, not really. Sorry, Alexx," Calleigh said.

"We haven't seen him since you let him go home early last night," Eric remembered.

"Yeah, well, he needed the sleep badly so I sent him home."

"Yeah, Alexx, he looked very tired last time I saw him," Calleigh said.

"It must've been the case," Eric suggested. "You know how H gets all worked up like that. I hope he had a good night's sleep,"

"Well, he better had," Alexx said, hoping he did.

"I'm not too sure about that," Ryan said, looking through the window. They all stared at him. "Horatio just arrived," he explained, pointing out the window.

Horatio was in the elevator, alone. He took off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes, stifling a yawn. "Come on, Horatio," he said to himself, "Look alive or Alexx will have your hide." He didn't need another lecture from his M.E. along with his team in the early hours of the morning. His dreams made it hard for him to get any sleep and he didn't want any of them to find out what those dreams were. Getting out, he walked straight towards the break room, hoping he looked well rested enough for them and hoped that there was still some coffee left.

"Are you sure, Ryan?" asked Calleigh.

"I don't know. I saw him massaging his head though," he replied and sat on a chair next to the couch.

"Ryan Wolfe, not sure about something, that's the first." Eric said with a grin, putting down his cup of coffee on the table.

"Shut it, Delko," he shot back.

"Aren't we a little touchy—Hey, H," he said, seeing his boss enter the break room.

Looking up, Ryan greeted his boss. "Good morning, H."

"Good morning, Mister Wolfe," Horatio said casually, hoping that they wouldn't notice his rather tired eyes.

"Good morning, handsome," said the southern belle, once again, using the pen name that she gave him.

"Good morning. Calleigh," he said with a shy smile. He turned to Alexx who was already holding his cup filled with fresh morning coffee. She graciously handed it to him. "Here you go, baby, and good morning."

"Thank you, Alexx," he said politely, accepting the cup.

"So, Horatio," she said, "how was last night? Got enough sleep?"

Horatio sipped some coffee and said, looking at his cup, "Plenty, Alexx, thank you."

"Plenty, huh?" she said, giving him a look. "Doesn't look like it."

Horatio anticipated this and, thankfully, he had legitimate excuse other than his hellish dreams. "I, um, I was awoken by a call from one Rick Stetler."

Alexx studied the younger man's actions and looked directly into his beautiful blue innocent-looking eyes. A moments past and she finally looked away. "Okay, I believe you…only because the sergeant paid us a little visit last night thirty minutes later when I told you to go home and rest. He was looking for you and I clearly said not to disturb you if stupid ideas pop up in that big head of his."

"What did he want?" Horatio asked, now a little concerned over the situation but couldn't help showing a thankful smile at the motherly protection he knew Alexx had showed last night.

"Stetler wanted to talk to you about the shooting that happened during our rescue at the abandoned warehouse," Ryan informed him.

"What happened when he found out I'd already left?" Horatio asked, getting interested by the minute.

"Well, he was pissed, for one," Ryan remembered. "He went all red in the face, saying you slipped again."

"He threatened that he'd go to your house to get a statement if he had to," Calleigh said, with a frown. "He found out that you were the only one who fired a gun."

"Well, that doesn't surprise me. Rick has a tendency to find things out for himself without other people knowing," Horatio said blankly and finished his coffee, setting his cup aside. "What happened next? He didn't go to my house as I recall it."

Now, it was Eric who spoke, a big wide smile on his Cuban-Russian descent face. "You should have seen it, H," he said, his face full of utter enjoyment, "Alexx got all over Stetler's face and warned him not to disturb you or there would be hell to pay. I haven't seen Stetler grumble like that before. It was funny and weird at the same time."

Horatio turned to Alexx and gave her an appreciative smile. "Thank you, ma'am."

"You're welcome, baby," she said, rubbing their supervisor's arm, "besides, somebody needs to put that sergeant in his place."

"You know, he'll get you for that," he advised her.

"Let him try," Alexx retorted with a stern look.

Horatio chuckled and bid them all good bye. He went to his office and dreaded the inevitable. The moment he entered his office and turned on the lights, his eyes tightened. Piles and piles of paperwork were stacked on his desk, waiting to be taken care of and sorted out. He walked over and around his desk and sat on his chair. He groaned, took out a pen from his drawer and started with the stack of grueling paperwork a page at a time.

IAB Sergeant Rick Stetler stormed into the building and went straight for the elevator, ignoring the upset remarks when he entered the small space. He couldn't really care less right now as he jabbed the number two button with his finger. Horatio wasn't going to get away this time, that's for sure. Stetler was still annoyed about what happened last night. That M.E. Alexx Woods, got into his face and warned him about troubling Horatio, clearly stating her hate. "She'll pay for that," he muttered.

He heard the elevator dinged and stomped out as soon as the doors slid open. He shouted at the first officer he laid his fiery eyes on. "Where is he?! Where the hell is Horatio?!"

The young rookie officer stuttered trying to get the words out. Stetler shouted, getting impatient and causing more heads to turn, CSI Eric Delko being one of them. "What?! Spit it out!!"

"I-I have n-no idea, sir."

"Well? What the hell are you waiting for?!" Stetler spat. "Go find him! Idiot!"

"Y-yes, sir!" the rookie said, starting to walk the hell out of there before being stopped by a smiling CSI who put his hand on the scared rookie's shoulder. The CSI said kindly, patting the young officer's shoulder, "Hey, man, chill, forget about that order and go get yourself a bottle of water or something. Relax, ok? I'll cover you."

The young rookie nodded in reply and left the two men alone. Stetler closed his eyes and shook his head, an evil grin on his face. He gave the young CSI a look full of dislike. "You're really a piece of work, aren't you, Delko? You think you're all that, knowing the redhead's got your back on everything, don't you?"

Eric gave him the same look and said in a firm voice, "What the hell do you want this time, Stetler?"

"You know exactly what I want so don't play dumb, Delko," he said, looking into the Cuban's eyes. "Either you tell me where Horatio is or get the hell out of my way."

Before Eric could give the sergeant a piece of his mind, Stetler walked around him and darted toward the far corner of the hallway. It took Eric a while to finally register the fact that Stetler was heading for his boss' office. He ran after the sergeant, hot on his heels.

Hours passed as Horatio yawned tiredly, sitting in his chair and rubbing his hands over his tired eyes. He closed the folder in front of him and looked at the time. It was 10:45 am and he was almost about done. "It's not going to be a bad day after all," he thought, stretching his arms and legs. He was about done with his paperwork and there wasn't a single call-out today, well, this morning but he still keeps his hopes up that he and his team were just going to spend their working hours in the Crime Lab. Everybody needed the time to cope up with their own individual work and his was filling out unwanted papers.

Looking around his desk full of case files and paperwork, his attention was taken by a worn-out envelope that had a red "on-going" stamped on it. Conquered by his curiosity and intrigued by it's covering, he took it and examined it's exterior. It didn't just look very old, it was very old, dating back to thirty years ago if he'd read the date correctly. And it was a murder file, left in the unsolved. What really got the Lieutenant's attention was the two blue words that were stamped on the other side of the cover.

'This case file came from New York,' he thought, his heart beginning to beat faster, 'What's it doing here?' Thinking that his question was only going to be answered when he opens it, his hand snaked on the top of the envelope and was about ready to be enlightened when suddenly his door bursts open. One pissed IAB sergeant came in along with a very upset CSI behind him.

The CSI spoke first, "H, I tried to stop him. He just came barging in un--"

"Shut up, Delko, this has nothing to do with you!" spat the angry sergeant, looking at him with hateful eyes. "This is only between me and Horatio."

Eric looked at his boss who calmly stood up. "It's alright, Eric, it's alright. You can leave now, please," he said with a nod.

"Are you sure, H?"

"Yes, sir, thank you," he said, giving his young CSI a reassuring smile. Eric gave a worried nod and left his office, leaving the two gentlemen alone.

"You have to teach that freakin' CSI of yours some manners, Horatio," he said angrily to the lieutenant. "Sooner or later he's gonna get his ass into some real trouble."

"I assure you, Rick, that Eric and the rest of my CSIs doesn't need an attitude adjustment but I would be very happy and willing to help you with your attitude problem," Horatio said, firmness in his voice. He put the worn-out envelope back down and went around his desk, over to Stetler. "What do you want?"

Rick gave Horatio a menacing look as he said, "What I want from you is a statement about what happened at the warehouse and why was it that you were the only one who fired a gun."

Before Horatio could answer, he closed his eyes as his head throbbed in pain again. He leaned on his desk for support and rubbed his forehead. Thinking what was it this time that made his head hurt. 'Maybe Rick's blabbering,' he thought, 'Sounds convincing.'

"Horatio?"

Opening his eyes, Horatio says, "Hmmm?"

"What's wrong?"

"Headache…" he mumbled.

Stetler looked quizzically at Horatio and laughed. "Oh, I get it, Horatio. Pretending of having a headache now so you can slip away again. Let me tell you something…" he said, stepping in Horatio's space, "Not gonna happen! Your M.E. isn't here to save you again, Horatio."

Horatio's eyes narrowed and he wanted to take a swing at the IAB agent for getting in his face. Stetler took a step back and said, "I want my statement, Horatio, and I want it now!"

"Well, I won't give you an answer, Rick, not with that tone of yours," Horatio said sternly with a smile that said "bite me."

"Stop playing fucking games with me, Horatio," Stetler said threateningly, raising a finger in front of Horatio's face. "I have had just about enough of your bull—" He stopped and looked at his cell phone that was chirping loudly. He shot a glare at Horatio and pick up his phone, flicking it open. Raising his phone beside his ear, he said, "Yeah—Right…On my way." He then pressed a button and closed his phone.

He turned his attention to Horatio. "You got lucky I've been called out but I will get my statement. Tomorrow morning, nine o'clock sharp. And as for now," he said with a smile, "I'm going to have to take your gun."

"For what, Rick?" said Horatio, sounding really annoyed now.

"For officer involved shoot-out, Horatio," he said, his smile grew wider. "Protocol says I take your gun for processing. Rules are rules, Horatio. Give me your gun."

Horatio resisted the urge of blowing the sergeant's brains out as he handed him his gun. Stetler took the gun with a triumphant smirk. Before leaving, he said, "And don't forget. Tomorrow, nine o'clock. I am going to get a statement, Horatio, so don't even think of walking out." He left, carrying the Lieutenant's gun and leaving a very pissed Horatio who said, "Oh, I will give you a statement, Rick, and I'm going to shove it right up your ass."

Eric Delko stood at the corner, careful so he couldn't be seen as the sergeant walked out of his boss' office. He suddenly jumped when cold water hit the back of his neck from out of nowhere. He looked around and didn't see anything. He even looked at the ceiling. Deciding that it was nothing, he turned his attention back to Stetler.

"He's got H's gun," he said quietly as he watched Stetler go to the storage room and put the Lieutenant's gun in an evidence box. "What's he up t—AHH!" he exclaimed, jumping. Cold water hitting the back of his neck again and he quickly turned around. "What the…?"

He saw Ryan holding his sides and covering his mouth, doubling over, laughing. He then shot his eyes on what the young CSI was holding. It was a green water pistol.

Eric gritted his teeth and roared across the hallway. "WOLFE!!"

Ryan shot up and saw the angry Cuban CSI glare at him, huffing. 'Uh-oh,' he thought. Raising his hands with a surrendering motion, Ryan said with a nervous smile, "Uh…woops?" In a second, Ryan ran away with his water pistol as fast as he could.

Eric dashed the moment he saw the young CSI move, getting everybody's attention, "WOLFE! Come back here!!" he roared as he ran past the IAB sergeant, completely forgetting about Stetler and Horatio.

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Little Horatio: Hey, Horatio, you feeling any better?

Horatio: Yes, thank you.

Rick: (dangling a gun) Oh, Horatiooo, lookie what I got.

Horatio: Hey! That's my gun! Give it back!

Rick: (grinning) Say please!

Horatio: (shouting) Screw you!

Rick: Then I won't give it back. (sticking his tongue out)

Little Horatio: (panicking) Horatio! Rick!

Eric: (chasing after Ryan) Wolfe!

Ryan: (running away from Eric) Ahh!

Little Horatio: Eric! Ryan! Oh, boy…

Alexx: (sighs) Thank you for reading and we would really appreciate it if you gave us some reviews. Thanks, honey.


	8. I'm Watching You

Little Horatio: Here is the next chapter…I meant to post it sooner but there was an unfortunate…delay.

Eric: (cough!) LAZY! (cough!)

Little Horatio: (glares) I had school, okay?! It's hard to concentrate on finishing a story if the school is up your ass! And I only get to use the computer on the weekends!

Eric: (rolling his eyes) Cry me a river…

Ryan: You disappoint me… (tsk-tsk) Little Horatio (thankfully) doesn't own me, Delko or any of the characters in this story. She does, however, own a stupid-looking face and a not so attractive body.

Little Horatio: (fuming and shouting her lungs off) Listen here, Wolfe! I'll have you know that my face is finer than yours and how my body looks is NONE of your business! If you so much as mention something that IDIOTIC again I'll have Horatio and the rest of the crime lab peel your remains off the bloody walls for all eternity!!

Ryan: (stares in disbelief and mumbled) God… she's (gulp) scary…

Eric: (unsure on how to react) Umm…uh…heheh… (stepping away)…

Chapter 8: I'm Watching You

Horatio sat on his desk and heaved a sigh. Rick was one of the few people that made his blood boil and he knew just how to tick him off. 'Just like when we were kids, right, Rick?' he thought with a smirk. Looking over at his desk, he had almost forgotten about the old envelope. He reached and grabbed it, unwinding the tiny rope coiled at its opening. He didn't know why his body tensed but he intended on finding out. Taking a deep breath, he carefully opened the envelope and was ready to take out the—

"Hey, handsome!" said Calleigh happily, walking in the office.

He was taken by surprise as his head jerked in her direction. He sighed. "Calleigh…"

"Sorry, handsome, did I scare you?"

"A little bit…" he said, smiling.

"Yay!" Horatio raised an eyebrow. "What? It's very rare for me to scare my boss, y'know," she explained.

Horatio chuckled, "The first and the last time you do."

"Good enough for me," she said and eyed the open envelope. "What's that?"

"It's nothing," he said, putting it down and changing the subject, "You feel hungry?"

"As a matter of fact, I do, handsome," she said and leaned forward a bit with a smile. "Why? Is my LT going to treat me to lunch?"

"If you want to, sure, my treat," he said, laughing. "Come on; let's go find Alexx and the boys."

"Yes, Lieutenant," she teased as they got out of his office.

"Come back here, Wolfe!" he roared, running after him.

"Come and get me," Ryan laughed as he squirted water on Eric while he ran.

Eric's shirt was already wet from all the squirting Ryan gave him from his water pistol and he tends on paying him back. He skidded, stopping by the water dispenser and took Styrofoam cups, one at each hand. He filled it to the brim and looked for the guy with the water pistol. Then he saw him. Ryan was at the water fountain, refilling his weapon. He charged at him, water overflowing in the cups he held. Ryan saw him just in time to get away from the water being thrown at him. They ran around the crime lab, getting each other wet. The people just watched them in awe as they ran right and left in front of them.

SQUIRT! SQUIRT!

SPLASH!

Ryan screeched as he was suddenly splashed with ice cold water. Eric doubled, laughing his head off and ran as he saw Ryan lunging towards him.

"I'll get you for that!" Ryan roared, the both of them not realizing that they were being laughed at by the whole crime lab floor.

"EEYAAH!!" Eric shrieked as he was being chased and squirted at by Ryan.

Calleigh and Horatio waited for Alexx to get ready. Wiping off water using a wash cloth, Alexx said, putting it down, "Okay, guys, let's go." The gentleman that he is, Horatio held the door open for Alexx and Calleigh so the two ladies could get out.

"Where are the boys?" Alexx asked as they walked through the hallway.

"They must be here somewhere," said Calleigh, searching the labs.

"Ladies," Horatio said, "I've found them."

Alexx and Calleigh turned to the direction in which Horatio was pointing at. And there they were, getting each other wet. Eric refilled his Styrofoam cups and crouched, looking for Ryan. When out of nowhere---SQUIRT! ---Ryan hits Eric again and off he went, laughing. Eric hadn't noticed that he spilt water all over the floor when he threw the other cup full of water at Ryan.

"HA! HA! Missed me---ouf!" Ryan ran face first to a wall and collapsed on the ground. "Ugh…"

Eric laughed hysterically, holding his sides and stomping his foot. He stomped once more and his foot went flying into the air, sending the laughing Cuban straight to the ground with a splash and hitting the floor with a loud thud. The two CSIs laid on the floor wet and exhausted. Ryan was the first one to get up.

Alexx and Calleigh stared at the both of them, their jaws wide open. Horatio, on the other hand, was biting his lower lip to prevent himself from laughing as Eric slowly got up and rubbed his head.

"Boys!" Alexx shouted, completely pissed. "What in the hell are you two doing?!"

"Uhh…" Ryan looked around and saw people laughing. "Entertaining people?"

Alexx shot them a very pissed off look when Eric said, pointing at Eric, "He started it! Look at me, I'm all wet!"

"Hey, I'm all wet, too!" Ryan said, looking down at his shirt. "And my head hurts."

"More of you is gonna get hurt when Alexx gets through with the two of you," Calleigh informed him.

Alexx was about to give them a piece of her mind when he heard Horatio giggle. She shot him a look. Horatio saw it and cleared his throat. "Eric, Ryan," he said in a scolding tone, "how many times do I have to tell you, boys, that if you wanna play and get each other wet, please, do it outside and not inside the crime lab."

"Sorry, H," they chorused.

"Now, both of you change into something dry. Horatio is gonna treat us to lunch," Calleigh said and laughed as the two dashed off to the locker room.

"And look at them go. Just say the words 'treat us to lunch' and they move like the Flash," said Horatio, shaking his head.

"I can't believe those two," said Alexx, hands on hips and shaking her head. "Playing inside the crime lab?"

"Well, it beats doing paperwork," Horatio said blankly and the two ladies stared at him. "What?"

"You're lucky you're treating us to lunch, Horatio," Alexx said.

"Okay, we're ready," said Eric as the two of them ran towards them.

"Then let's go," Horatio said, gesturing them to the elevator.

The diner across the street from Miami-Dade crime lab had been around a long time; it had weathered hurricanes, economic downturns and even brief periods of trendiness. Wolfe couldn't tell if the neon flamingos that shone over the lunch counter were art-deco retro from the eighties or the real thing from further back.

The place was called Auntie Bellum's, and it was where Horatio took his team for lunch. They sat on the booth on the far end of the diner. Enjoying their selves as they ate and talked about what happened at the crime lab. Eric and Ryan argued about whose fault it was only to be stop by a rather angry medical examiner. Calleigh loved watching the three of them make a scene and, as for Horatio, he was simply happy that his team was having a wonderful time even though at his expense.

Unbeknownst to Horatio, a familiar face was watching him at the opposite corner of the diner, sitting alone in a booth. Sipping his coffee, he let out a sadistic grin as he watched the Lieutenant smile and, sometimes, laughs with his team.

"That's right, Horatio," the stranger said to no one in particular, "Enjoy your time with your friends because tonight…you're gonna go straight back to hell."

A waitress came up to the stranger and said with a smile, "Would you like some more coffee, sir?"

"Yes, thank you," the man replied, still watching Horatio and his team.

The waitress noticed the old man and asked with the same smile, "You know them?"

"What?" he said and realized, saying, "Yes, one of them."

"Which one?"

"The man with the hair as same as mine," he said, smiling.

"Oh, Lieutenant Horatio Caine," she said with a flirtatious smile, pouring the customer some more coffee. "The handsome redhead who leads the Miami-Dade crime lab and catches the bad guys. Everybody knows Lieutenant Caine. Because of him and his team, the crime rate in Miami dropped rapidly."

The stranger nodded, saying, "Yes, I know."

"Well, have a nice day, sir," she said, leaving.

"Oh, yes, I will," the stranger said, chuckling, and resumed watching the Lieutenant. "Yes, I will…"

Walking out of the diner, they all thanked their boss for treating them to lunch. After a few minutes, they were all back at the crime lab. Getting out of the elevator they thanked Horatio again and went their separate ways. Horatio was called by the brass.

"Hey, Cal," Eric said, keeping up with her as they separated from Horatio and the group.

"Yes?"

"How would you like to assist me in a little…demonstration I like to call 'Piss Ryan Off?'" he said with a toothy grin.

"And what? Make a fool of myself?" she said in an are-you-serious tone. "I have more important things to do and so many guns to clean. I don't have time for your childish pranks."

"Even if I was willing to give you, oh, I don't know, a copy of Boa Vista's diary?" he coaxed, smirking.

Calleigh's eyes went wide. "You have a copy of Natalia's diary?" she said in disbelief. "How did you get it?"

"Nicked it when I went to her house to 'watch a movie'," he said, air quoting with his fingers. "It was pretty easy."

"Eric, I can't believe you," Calleigh said, putting a hand on her hip. "Bribing me using Natalia's diary? No, Eric, I won't," she said and started to walk away.

"Okay! Suit yourself," Eric said loudly, "Just don't ask me about page three hundred and twenty-three. About what she thought about your skirt when we went to Club Andromeda!"

Calleigh stopped abruptly and turned around. Eric's smile went wider, knowing that he hit the spot. Calleigh walked back to Eric and crossed her arm. "What did she say about my skirt at the club?"

"Nuh-uh," Eric said. "I'll tell you only if you promise to help me."

Calleigh couldn't take it anymore and faltered. "Okay, okay, I'll help you with your little prank. Now, tell me what she said about my skirt."

Erin grinned in triumph and said, "She thought that you looked all slutty when you were dancing with me and the guys."

"She did?" she said, pissed. "That little—Oooh! – I am going to give that girl something to write about! When will you give me the copy?" she said demandingly.

"Okay. To get you motivated, I'll give it to you now," he said.

"You kept it in the lab?"

"Yeah, for emergencies."

"Remind me never to leave anything behind when you're around," she said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, whatever, let's go," Eric said and led Calleigh to the fingerprint lab.

Horatio got back to the sanctuary that is his office after a couple of hours, remembering that he had a little more paper work to finish. Sitting behind his desk, he was about to start when the old case file caught his attention again.

'Let's get this over with before somebody calls me again,' he thought as he grabbed the envelope. He took what was inside and saw that it was full of pictures. The moment he laid his eyes on the first picture, he froze. 'This can't be right,' he thought. He flipped through the crime scene photos and every time he did, his breathing became uneven. Pictures of the Caine household were shown along with the pictures of his dead mother, all bloody and lifeless. And the gun that was used to kill her.

Even though it was a fully air-conditioned facility, the MDPD Crime Lab, Horatio felt a trickle of sweat come down on the side of his face. Thoughts were flying as he flipped through the photographs. What was this doing here? How did it get here? Was somebody playing a very sick joke to tick him off? And why the hell was it stamped with the words 'on-going?

Horatio couldn't take it anymore and shot out of his office, completely ignoring the greetings he received when he walked his way through the bustling hallway and to the reception desk.

"Paula," he said, startling the young police officer. "Paula, did anyone leave anything for me?"

"N-no, Lieutenant, nothing," she said.

"Okay...um…" he said, thinking. "Did you see anyone unfamiliar enter my office?"

"No one, sir."

"Okay…Thank you," he said and went back to his office, leaving a very confused Paula.

He gathered the rest of the photographs and took his keys, glancing at his watch. It was only a quarter to six but he still hurried, not even cleaning his desk that was filled with paper work. Horatio didn't know why but he had the urge to come home early and …take his mind off things. He didn't even bother to tell his CSIs that he was leaving early. He just wanted to get away from everybody and that was his way of not losing his cool and his way of not involving anyone.

He walked out of Miami-Dade Police Department and Crime Lab, fuming. Somebody was playing a nasty joke on him and that ticked him off. Bringing back the past just to make him angry was a very stupid thing to do. People rarely saw him get infuriated over something but bring back old undesired memories than you are surely asking for one hell of a beating. He got in Hummer H2 and set the photographs aside on the seat next to him. He started the engine and drove off.

Horatio: (walking by and glances at Wolfe) Mister Wolfe, are you okay? You're putting pale into a whole new level over there. What's wrong?

Ryan: (stutters) N-n-nothing, H. It's-s n-nothing.

Eric: (guffaws) Little Horatio just scared the color out of him!! You should have seen him, H!

Horatio: She did? What did Mister Wolfe do to upset her like that?

Eric: (wiping a tear from his eye) Ryan used Little Horatio, stupid-looking and not-so-attractive, all in one sentence!

Horatio: (stares at Wolfe) Do you want to die or something, Mister Wolfe?

Ryan: I…uh…I better lie down over there (he pointed)… yeah…

Eric: (shaking his head) Get a grip, Wolfe! And thank the nice people for reading the story! And dance for them if they leave reviews!

Ryan: To hell with you, Delko!!

Eric: (smirking) Pissing him off completes my job as a true friend (sigh)…


	9. Recollection

Little Horatio: The reviews are doing great. Keep it up. And as promised, here is the next chapter. It's filled with tragedy so…enjoy!!

Horatio: Little Horatio does not own me or any of the characters in the series. Which, I must say, is something of a comfort judging by the story...

Little Horatio: (glares) You are SO lucky you're my favorite…

Rick: SECOND FAVORITE!!!

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Chapter 9: Recollection

Calleigh shook her head as she walked in the hallway, passing the labs filled with busy lab techs. She was kind of glad that their team hadn't been assigned to a crime scene today. They were still worn out from the previous one. It was only yesterday so they really needed the time to get back to their paperwork. She had just finished hers and was now heading to the break room to grab a quick cup of coffee.

It was getting dark as she looked outside a window. She passed Horatio's office and doubled back, a mischievous grin now on her face. She noticed that the lights were still on even though the blinds completely covered the interior of her boss' office. The thought that popped in her head was now telling her to do it. Her grin grew wider. 'Maybe I should give Horatio a little scare again,' she thought, 'Sure once was good but twice would be great.' She moved stealthily up the stairs, trying not to make her presence known. 'He must be busy with his paper work,' she thought, 'Perfect.' She crouched down in case her shadows were seen through the blinds. Quietly she places a hand on the doorknob and slowly turned it.

She flung the door wide open as she shouted "HORATIO!" only to find that the office was empty. "Humph," escaped her lips as she frowned. Her LT was not here and she felt a little stupid that she went all through that just to scare a vacated office. Why the lights were still open though? The thought crossed her. She just shrugged the thought off and closed the lights then the door. 'Maybe I should just scare Alexx,' she thought for a moment, 'Nah, I'll be lying on the autopsy table the moment I do that.' She then continued her way to her original destination, the break room.

Stopping at a red light, Horatio tapped the gear shift impatiently. His head was aching and his anger was making it hard for him to concentrate. He was thinking of a vast quantity of people that would go to the extremes to pull a prank as sick as this. Yes, he had a lot—and I mean, a LOT—of people who were after him.

He was green-lit a few years ago due to his job. For years, he had been targeted by a number of criminals and gangs, growing bigger and bigger every time he solved a case and sent felons to prison. He had received so many death threats saying that they'll make him pay and all that nonsense that he got so tired of it and decided to just fling it all out his window with a grin of satisfaction. All kinds of death threats piled his desk, some even made him laugh as he read each and every one of them. Each saying only one thing…"We want you dead." But it was getting old as months turned to years. Instead of being worried out of his wits, he just felt REALLY annoyed. Although some did keep their promise, it didn't bother him. Some failed and some succeeded in putting him in a hospital but that was just about it. He was still alive. Now THAT REALLY annoyed him. He hated being in the hospital and he had been there back and forth for so many times for the last five years that he gave up counting entirely. It drove him crazy. He hated being there, that's it.

On some occasion, Horatio still receives death threats to this day. His team sometimes wondered why he was laughing alone in his office, holding a letter or a piece of paper. The minute that they found out that what he was reading the DTs that were sent to him, they shuddered at the thought on why their boss still chuckled or gave a small laugh after receiving such a thing. The team dubbed it the "Dead man's Liking" indicating the twisted joy he showed and the unusual habit of reading DTs whenever he got them. Some people in the lab thought that he cracked under pressure and stress, explaining the supervisor's eccentric joy. Maybe they were right and maybe they were wrong. No one knew the truth.

His eyebrows furrowed even more when he came to the conclusion that only a handful of people would be in his suspect list. Only quite a few people knew about his family history. They were the only ones who knew about his mother's death. 'But not the full details,' he thought. Only two people knew the whole story about his mother's tragic passing. He was one of the two and the other was already dead.

A lot of people were close to his heart. His team, for one, and Yelina and Ray Jr. but he and Raymund promised to keep everything a secret from the rest of them. Horatio knew that Raymund would never tell anyone without letting him know first. Then again, he faked his own death and went undercover for three years without Horatio even having any idea about it. He shook the thought out of his head. Then there was Marisol, his beloved wife. He confessed everything to her one night while they were dating, the deaths, the truck-load of burdens, the death threats, his childhood, and everything about his family. EVERYTHING. He did it to make her understand why he was having second-thoughts about having another relationship again. He didn't want her to have a man like him. "You can have any man you want. Why pick me? I don't deserve someone as beautiful and elegant as you," he recalled saying that night. Marisol just gave him a gentle smile and pulled him in a huge embrace that said it all.

Father Christopher Dela Vega couldn't possibly break his vow when he took Horatio's confessions. He knew him ever since he was a kid and he knew that the priest would never do such a thing like that. Then they were others but he couldn't think about any one of them who would spread such a thing.

The traffic light went green and he was on drive again, thinking how this could have happened. A lot of bad thoughts popped into his head. A lot of criminals were getting smarter and there were a lot of ways to get what you want. You just needed imagination for that. 'Okay,' he thought, 'that's not good.'

He glanced at the photos again next to his seat. He shouldn't have done that. Seeing his mother bloody and dead all over again was one of the things he never wanted to happen. His concentration on the road was beginning to wander, recalling the dreadful event that happened to him when he was a young teenager.

The thirteen year-old just arrived from school. Even though he didn't show it, he was very happy. It was his 14th birthday today and he couldn't wait what his mother would give him. Last year, he received a very nice marine glow-in-the-dark watch. He loved it so much that he wore it day and night even when he was sleeping. It helped him a lot, especially when he was locked in the closet for hours and hours in the dark. Its glow helped him deal with the darkness and helped him forget about the little space he had. He kept it in his pocket most of the time because of his father. If the old man took a look at it, Horatio was sure he would see it being crushed with a hammer or something very heavy, saying that he didn't deserve it.

He took the watch out of his pocket and looked at its never-fading marvel. Even though it had scratches all over it, it was already a year old and he still loved it. He was officially fourteen years old. Pocketing his watch, he put down his bag slowly on the floor. Thinking that his mother was up to something, he thought of sneaking a peek just in case his mother was wrapping his present or baking him a delicious birthday cake.

Slowly and quietly, Horatio walked across the living room, crouching as he did. He hunkered down even lower when he got to the corner. Inserting his head into the kitchen, his jaw dropped as he walked in. His eyes wandered from the floor--that was covered with blood—to the person lying motionless, blood gushing out from a wound on her chest. One word came out his mouth. "Mom…"

He was about to go to his mother's aid when his eyes veered off and saw another individual present. He froze. His father was looking at him with anger? Confusion? Shock? The boy didn't know. Horatio then glanced at what he was holding and saw a gun. "You…"

Marc saw his son eyeing the gun and dropped it unceremoniously to the floor with a thud, skidding away as hi foot accidentally hit it. He then looked at the boy, saying, "Horatio, I know what you're thinking but I—"

"…shot her," he said, the words fell like venom.

Horatio eyed his father as he spoke. He looked at the old man's eyes and saw what looked like…fear? His father said, trying to calm down, "Boy, I did not shoot her. I just s—"

"LIAR!" the boy yelled, different kinds of emotions overwhelming him. "Stop lying!"

"You DO NOT know what the hell you're talking about!!" roared the father who was now pissed. "Say something that stupid again and I swear that I will—"

"What?! Kill me?!" said Horatio, tears slowly streaming down his face. "Like what you did to HER?!"

The father shook in anger and his face turning red with frustration. "You listen here, boy! One more word and I will beat the crap out of you!!"

Horatio glared at him, thinking that he was no match for him. He had to think of a way to protect himself from the murderer. He looked around, trying to find something to defend himself with. He got it.

It took Marc by surprise but he dived for it just in time. Horatio and Marc were struggling to get the gun from one another. Horatio knew that the older man was too strong but he didn't let go. The boy held on to the gun because his life depended on it. Marc had a sadistic smile on his face. He was winning and, by the way his son was looking at him, the boy knew too. Horatio gripped the gun tighter and tugged. He leaned forward to put more pressure. Marc was shouting but Horatio wasn't listening because all he cared about now was getting the gun. There was a sudden tug and the gun fired.

Grasping his wound in pain, he shut his eyes tightly, bearing the pain that spread through his left shoulder, blood flowing profusely. He had lost. The other man was holding the gun. Clutching his wound, Horatio looked up as his left arm hung limply by his side. His father was smirking, the look of triumph in his face. He held the gun, pointing it at the boy. It was a few inches from Horatio's face.

"You always were a failure, Horatio," his father snarled, pointing the weapon threateningly. "You couldn't even fight to save your life. It's not a surprise if your fool of a mother died so easily. She was weak…just like YOU."

Horatio swallowed hard and gritted his teeth, bearing the pain. 'I'm not going to end like this,' he thought to himself, 'I can't let my mother down and I'm the only one that Raymund's got as family now. I can't leave him.' His brain was shouting at him to think of a way out of this. His eyes widened as he saw the older man's hand gripping the gun more tightly, his finger on the trigger.

At that moment, the young boy ducked and spun around giving the older man the shock of his life. Horatio gave him a spinning heel kick. The gun flew out of Marc's hand as he hit it. Regaining his balance, Horatio reacted quickly and dove for the gun, forgetting about his injury. He caught it and spun around once more. Now it was him who was pointing the gun at his father, not the other way around.

It happened so fast that Marc couldn't register all the way. 'Where in the hell did that boy learn to do something like that?!' he thought.

Horatio aimed the gun at his father. His loathing for the man was at its peak as he said, smiling, "Took you by surprise, didn't I?" The man gave him a look that could kill and said, "Give me the gun, boy…"

'You have got to be kidding me…' Horatio thought sarcastically. "You took my mother's life…" he said, steadying the gun and taking perfect aim at the man's heart, "…pay the price."

Marc glowered at him and roared, "I DID NOT KILL KATHERINE!!"

Horatio just stared at him, gun still pointing. Thoughts were controlling his mind again. One was persuading him to believe what the older man said but the other was telling him to get revenge for killing his mother. 'He killed her,' he thought, 'and I'm sure of it.'

"Give me the gun before you do something you'll regret," Marc said through gritted teeth, looking menacingly at the boy.

Horatio looked at him, his expression blank. "You killed her. You didn't love her and Raymund and you certainly didn't love me," he said his expression unfathomable. "What did I ever do to make you hate me so much?"

The father fell silent, his head hanging. Suddenly, he charged at Horatio, screaming. "Give me the fucking gun!!"

One…two…three… It was all that it took to take his father down. Marc stumbled, looking at his chest now with three bullet holes. Blood was spreading across his chest as he looked at the boy who did it all.

Horatio looked at him with no emotion. He watched as the man stared at him and then collapsed on the floor. More blood covered the ground as Marc lay still, not moving. Horatio lifted his head and closed his eyes, smiling to the ceiling and saying in a hushed tone, "You're right, dad. I am a failure. It's my entire fault why mom died. I killed you when it was too late." He hung his head and dropped the gun. He felt nothing. No emotion made itself present. "I failed to protect her…"

A tear went down Horatio's face. He had arrived home and got out of the Hummer. He walked quickly across the pavement, ignoring the man he had bumped. He dug for his keys and opened the door. He pushed it open with a loud bang and went inside. He went to his study, looking for something. He placed the photos on his desk and opened a drawer. He quickly turned around and listened. He heard something went passed him. He dropped the little notebook he got from the drawer and went to the living room. He saw that the door was still open, forgetting to close it. He went back and closed the door, locking it.

He turned around and saw a shadow—a figure—down the hallway, near the door to his study. He became alert and went for his gun. All he caught was air. 'Damn,' he remembered, 'my gun is with Stetler.' He had to think about something else, seeing that he didn't have his gun.

"Who are you?" Horatio said sternly to the unwelcome stranger. He couldn't see the figure's face. "Sir, you are breaking an entering. State your name and your purpose for entering my house unannounced."

The man stepped out of the shadow and sneered at the look the Lieutenant had when he showed his face. "Marc Anthony Caine. And I'm going to…pay you back."

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Little Horatio: Hey, people!! Did all of you enjoy it? If so, leave a review!! It helps me keep going!!

Horatio: (yelling and flailing his hands) What were you THINKING letting that-that old man in my house?!?!?!

Little Horatio: Calm down, Horatio…

Rick: (eating popcorn) Yeah, Horatio, calm down. It's not like the old fart is gonna do anything dangerous.

Horatio: What?! Are you an idiot, Rick?! Did you not hear what he just said? ('oh God…' turning to Little Horatio) You are not going to let him do anything to me, right? RIGHT?

Little Horatio: I'm very sorry Horatio but…it gets worse.

Horatio: Oh God… (pacing)

Rick: Woohoo! I am REALLY enjoying this!!! (Horatio glared at him) Want popcorn?

Horatio: Screw your popcorn!! (walking out)

Rick: I'll take that as a "no."

Little Horatio: Yup. Hand me some of that popcorn, will you?


	10. A Failure

(After the popcorn incident, about three hours later)

Rick: (looks around in work space) Hello? Anyone in here? (No answer) I wonder if I can change all this so Little Horatio wouldn't notice and the real one actually may!

Shining Zephyr/ Shiny: (in doorway) don't you dare, Rick.

Rick: (whirls around) No. YOU! What are YOU doing in here?

Shiny: Little Horatio decided to let me do the disclaimer as a guest star this time around.

Rick: (eyes widened) you've ruined my image! It's your entire fault I'm sadistic.

Shiny: (grins and begins to corner Rick) Yes it is.

Rick: (pulls out Horatio's gun) I'm armed!

Shiny: (sits on him. He begins yelling) I'm sitting on you. And no, Little Horatio or I don't own any anything you see here. Which Stinks!

Little Horatio: (walks in, eyes widening) Shiny-san, what are you doing?!

Shiny: (shrugs, still looking at Rick) Sitting on Stetler. He really needs to shut up once in a while. (Turns around and stares at Little Horatio)

Little Horatio: Okay…why are you staring at me?

Shiny: What? OH! Nothing! (Pulls out cookies) I've got twelve more cases in the back. You want some?

Little Horatio: (grins) Would I ever!

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Chapter 10: A Failure

Calleigh had been looking all over for him since she failed to scare him after finding out that he wasn't in his office. She forgot about going to the break room and started searching for her boss. From the AVR (where she saw Ryan and Dan in heated conversation) to Fingerprint analysis, to the garage and to her own quarters, the gun lab and the gun vault. She even checked interrogation room 1 to 5 and lock up 1 to 8. The only area she didn't check was…the little boy's room.

She had been pacing in front of the men's room for some time now, waiting. Eric was going to take a leak when he saw Calleigh in front of the door.

Giving her a confused look, he said, "Please, don't tell me that you're thinking about going in the men's room."

"What?" said a bewildered Calleigh. "What would I be DOING in the little boy's room? And besides, that depends. Is there a sexy stripper in there?"

"There could be," Eric said giving her a seductive smile.

"Stop it, Eric," she said, giving him a look that said oh-please. "I was just wondering if H is in there. I've been looking for him."

Eric looked at her and went to the men's room, opening the door and looking inside. "Nope, not in here," he said. "Did it ever occur to you that H might've left by now?"

"This early?" Calleigh said questionably, glancing at her watch. "It's only 6:30."

"Yeah, well," he said, "H must've needed some alone time. And he needs the rest."

"I suppose that you're right," she said. "But it's still awfully early…for him, you know."

"Forget about that, Cal," Eric said, waving a hand. "We need to go over our plans for Wolfe-boy."

"You know," she said, remembering something, "I saw Ryan talking to Dan about something."

"Maybe he's on to us and recruited his own buddy in crime."

"You boys are such idiots," Calleigh said, shaking her head. "You get innocent people involved with your stupid pranks."

"Boys will be boys," Eric laughed then deepened his voice. "Come on, let's get going. To the trace lab!!"

Calleigh rolled her eyes and followed Eric, forgetting about her boss. It still bothered her that Horatio went home early. It was very unusual for him but she decided to shrug it off and race Eric to the trace lab.

Horatio swallowed hard, sweat streaming down his cheek to his neck. Staring at the man he knew to be dead, he could hear his heart pounding. The man took a step forward. Horatio, on the other hand, took a step back, not wanting to be near him as much as possible.

Marc smiled and said, "Aren't you gonna welcome your old man, boy?"

'This can't be right,' he thought, taking a step back again as the man walked forward. "Y-You're not real," Horatio said nervously, blinking to get a better view of the man's face.

"I'm as real as it gets, boy," Marc said, giving him a toothy grin.

"You're supposed to be dead," Horatio said, fear spreading over his body. He tried to stay calm and under control. 'This must be a dream,' he thought, 'He's supposed to be dead. He HAS to be dead.'

Marc laughed maniacally, seeing his son's facial expression. He saw the fear that was beginning to swallow him. The fear he knew that shook the younger man inside. "Yeah, you had to make sure of that, didn't you, boy?" he said, his smile fading.

Horatio's heart escalated, as he backed away from the man that was his father. Keeping his eye on him, he started to walk up the stairs slowly, getting as far away as possible.

Eyeing Horatio as he stepped closer and closer, gritting his teeth, he said unsmilingly, "You're such a failure, Horatio. Even at killing the very person you hated to the core, you failed."

"No…" he said, shaking his head as he continued up the stairs. "Y-you can't be alive."

"Oh but I am," Marc said in a collected voice. "You couldn't finish the job. You see, I've been watching you for a very, VERY, long time, boy. You've proven everything that I've said before, once a failure always a failure."

"No," Horatio said, blood beginning to boil. His eyes narrowed as he said, fighting off the fear. "I am NOT a failure!"

"Tell that to your mother, boy," Marc said, smiling sadistically. "Because of you, she died."

"It wasn't my fault!" Horatio shouted, his emotions getting the better of him. "You…you killed her!"

"Even if I told you, you wouldn't believe me," Marc said in a hushed tone, his eyes locking to his son's. Stepping closer, he said, "I wouldn't talk like that if I were you, boy. Do what your little brother did and shut your mouth." Marc smiled at what he just said and continued, saying in a mocking tone, "Oh, that's right, I forgot, your brother is already dead! I wonder whose fault was that."

Horatio tensed when he heard his little brother's name. The picture of Ray's bloody and battered face came into view in his mind, recalling his last few seconds with him before his body finally caved. That was the memory that made itself solid when he came to Brazil in order to stop Riaz.

"Tell me what happened to Raymund, boy," Marc said, not asking but demanding. "And don't lie to me."

Horatio was having a very hard time to breath properly and his head was throbbing. Fear overwhelmed his body as he tried to further the space between him and his father. "He…Ray…Ray is…" struggling to shake off his trepidation.

"Dead, isn't he, boy?" the man said. "He screwed up and got himself killed. And you didn't do anything to save him. You are useless…"

"I…I was…I was too late," Horatio said, panicking. "I couldn't save…I was…"

Marc drew nearer, trapping him in his own bedroom. 'You're all mine, boy,' he thought as he watched his son lose his focus and his composure. "Your only brother is dead, boy. You couldn't take care of him and it's damn well your fault that he died! You left him alone and now he's dead. You failed your mother and now your brother. Hell, you even failed your God damn wife!!" he shouted and stared at Horatio. He knew that he'd hit a sore spot and that was what he wanted. Horatio gave him a bemused look. "Yeah, boy, I know about her," he said, answering his questioning look. "I told you I've been watching you."

Horatio stood still, looking at nothingness. He didn't even move when his father came to him, now only inches apart. Marc's last comment struck him hard. Marisol Delko-Caine, his wife, his dearly beloved, was dead. She'd been gone for nine months now and he tried very hard to not show anything. Any emotion or any sign that he was hurt. He showed all of them that he was strong but the truth was he cried silently at nights when he was lying in bed, not used to the vacant space next to him. Riaz took her life and it was because he couldn't protect her. He couldn't protect Marisol, the only person who gave him the strength to go further and face his demons.

"I…I couldn't protect her," he said in a whisper as he hung his head, remembering the way Marisol looked when she was on the hospital bed. Horatio lost it. Shaking his head as realization struck him, he said, "I'm…"

Marc smirked, finally breaking him. 'I'll really break him when I get through with him,' he thought gleefully. "A failure, boy. People suffered because of your actions. They died. Katherine, Raymund and your wife died…"

Horatio swallowed, guilt filling his mind, spirit and body. He was responsible for their deaths. He blamed himself, no one else.

"…time to pay the price."

Horatio had no time to react. The moment he lifted his head, he felt the hard corner of his bedside table. Marc delivered the punch hard and swift. The bedside table shook as Horatio crashed to the floor. Marc looked down at him as he groaned. Horatio's head felt like it wanted to explode. His temple hit the corner, hard. The fall to the floor didn't help him feel any better that's for sure.

Horatio was breathing hard, squeezing his eyes shut. The punch he received doubled with the pain in his temple. Something warm dripped down the side of his face. He was bleeding.

The old man grabbed Horatio by the neckline of his shirt with both hands. He heaved him up to his feet then walked a few steps, dragging him. Marc was breathing immensely, a vicious smile on his face. He tugged Horatio, putting his face an inch away from his own. "You, boy, will learn…and you WILL suffer," snarled Marc, shaking him.

Horatio was beginning to feel light headed; his vision was starting to spin. He could barely stand straight and his head was killing him. Marc leaned his head, his mouth near the younger man's ear. Horatio could feel his warm breathe and heard him whisper, "After I'm through with you…you'll beg me to kill you, boy. You are going to be so sorry…for everything."

There was a pause and they made eye contact, a gentle blue to a killer one. Marc gave him a sick smile and gave him a knee to the midsection. He then made his way out the door and closed it with a loud bang. Horatio gasped and fell to his knees, clutching his stomach. The air was knocked out of him and he began to cough. His eyes were watery and his vision was blurry. A tear went down his face and got mixed with his blood. He recalled everything, from the death of his mother to the death of his wife. He began to tremble as he realized something. On each one of their deaths, he was the last thing they saw before they left the world of the living, his mother in the kitchen, his little brother in a shack in Brazil and his wife in the hospital.

He jumped when the door flew open. Marc stomped in and showed Horatio what he was holding. Horatio's eye widened. The old man was holding a rope and he intended on using it. Marc tossed the rope on the bed and went to his son. He grabbed a handful of his coat and tugged it off him with force.

"Dad…" said Horatio, trying to catch his breath. "No…"

Marc ignored him and tore off his son's shirt. He tugged all of it off Horatio, exposing his bare back. He smiled as he saw the scars on his son's back. The damage he gave to him as a young boy stayed and he was glad for that, knowing he made his childhood a living hell. He was sure to add a lot more "souvenirs" when he gets through with him tonight.

Marc took the ropes from the bed and dragged Horatio to the foot of the bed. Horatio tried to fight him off. He broke his hold on him and dove, his hand reaching under the bed. 'Come on,' he thought. He felt for it but nothing came to his grasp, only air. He turned around as he heard his father's maniacal laugh once more.

"Looking for this, boy?" he said, dangling a gun between his thumb and forefinger. He smiled then kicked Horatio square in the chest and tucked the gun back in his pants.

Horatio writhed in pain, coughing. Marc put him in a kneeling position and tied his wrists at each end of the footboard of his bed. Horatio tried to yank or loosen the ropes that rubbed against his flesh but his efforts were in vain. His heart beat escalated as he heard his father take off his belt. He tugged the ropes harder, panicking. The ropes took off some of his skin in an attempt to free his wrists.

Marc took a handful of his hair and drew back Horatio's head, whispering aggressively to his ear, "Your mother…your brother…your wife… feel their pain." He let go and positioned himself.

"Dad…don't do this," Horatio pleaded, blood mixed with sweat streamed to his nose and under his eye, feeling its warmth and stickiness.

The next thing Horatio felt was considerable pain. He shut his eyes tightly and clenched his teeth. Every time the buckle and leather made contact, it took the breath out of him. Again and again, the vindictive strikes assaulted his back, leaving its marks.

Horatio was gasping and moaning with agony. Marc grinned, hearing his son's anguished breath. Horatio was panting, water filling his eyes as he endured the searing pain. He couldn't do anything to prevent any of this. He was tied to tightly. Struggling hopelessly at the ropes binding him and wounding his wrists, he felt the blinding pain double.

Horatio's head receded in pain and cried out, winded, "Dad! Stop this!" He felt his wrists stinging as he struggling to get loose. His breath left him quickly each time the bitter vindictive metal connected, callous and severe every time it did. Welts were forming on his back. Some were hit again and again and were cut open from the pressure. He could feel the warm sensation spreading all over his back along with the pain. And he was sure that his backside was turning black and blue. Out of breath and fatigued, he slowly lost strength. "Please..."

Getting aggravated, Marc's emotions quickly revealed itself. With anger boiling inside him, he continued to lash it all out on Horatio, bringing down his weapon of choice onto his son's back. "Oh, now, you beg me!!" he screamed, bringing down his belt harder. "I have had enough with you!! Because of you I've lost my love for Katherine!! Raymund hated me!!"

He grabbed Horatio by the hair and yanked his head. "You-have–ruined-my-life-ever-since-I-knew-the-truth!!" said Marc in one breath, pulling Horatio's head farther back.

By the time he let go, Horatio's head wanted to burst. Blood dripped and a lump made itself comfortable on his temple. 'Truth?' he thought, shutting his eyes securely. 'What truth?' Lifting his head slowly so not to increase his dizziness, he said, catching his breath, "What…what are you…talking...about…?"

Instead of getting an answer, Horatio received an unforgiving blow to his back. He groaned loudly in pain, hearing the words, "This is all your fault!!"

Horatio vision was more than blurry now. Tears blocked his view. He gripped the footboard as hard as he could to help him with the pain.

Marc glared at him, seeing the cuts and black and blue bruises and the blood that made its way out his wounds. He couldn't take it anymore. He was more than pissed. He was BEYOND pissed. He shook his head and let the leather belt hang in his hand at his side. Taking a deep breath, he violently swung his hand holding the belt and let it connect to his son's injured temple. The sound of a sickening crack echoed throughout the room as the buckle bounced back.

Horatio didn't even have time to cry out. By the time the buckle made contact with his head, everything went pitch black. His body hung limply from the footboard.

Marc eased his breathing, looking at the damage he'd done. He then sat down on the bed and hung his head, a satisfied smile made its way to his face.

Slowly, his eyes opened and he felt warm tears sliding down his cheeks. He clutched his bloody shoulder as the pain made its presence felt. He saw something dropped on his arm. Trailing his right hand over his face, he felt warm tears escaping his tired eyes. It was unusual. He didn't feel ANYTHING and yet…he was crying. His eyes traced to his father. He let out a sigh and decided to leave the kitchen. Taking one last look at his mother, he wanted to give her one last tight embrace before leaving but thought that it wouldn't bring her back and it'll all hurt him more.

He walked out the kitchen, looking at his shoes as he did so. He lifted his head as he heard sirens grew louder and louder. 'The neighbors must have called the police,' he thought. He raised his hands and saw it covered in blood. 'I killed my father,' the thought came to him, 'I couldn't care less if they sent me away and locked me somewhere.'

He continued his way through the living room. Then, it dawned on him. He remembered his little brother, Raymund. How could he be stupid to forget about him? Then he took it all back. They couldn't take him away. He had to take care of his little brother. He was the only one Raymund's got left. He couldn't leave him.

Raymund was walking by the sidewalk, carrying his backpack. It was his big brother's birthday today and he and his mother were going to surprise him. He silently hoped that he wasn't home yet for the surprise. He turned his head as he heard the sirens. Squad cars and an ambulance shot past him. Curiosity flooded him as his head followed the direction they were heading. His heart sank as he saw the ambulance and police cars surround his house. He didn't think twice and darted towards all the commotion.

Police officers got out of their vehicles and so did the EMTs. The lieutenant lead his men, weapons drawn. He was given a megaphone by one of his officers. "New York Police Department!" echoed through the megaphone. "We have the house surrounded. Get out with your hands above your head and get on your knees."

Raymund came just in time to see someone walk out the house. His eyes widened with horror. His big brother got out all bloody, clutching his shoulder. 'What's going on?' he thought as he continued moving forward. A police officer blocked his way, stopping him and saying, "Hey, kid, you better get out of here. It's dangerous."

"But that's my big brother!!" said Raymund, panicking. "And that's our house!!"

Horatio lifted his head as he heard a familiar voice. He saw his little brother struggle to get pass the police officer. He was about to go to him when three police officers surrounded him. The lieutenant spoke. "Kid, I want you to go to those M.E. guys and get yourself taken care of, you got me? We'll handle this."

Before the lieutenant could signal his team, weapons raised, Horatio said blankly in a whisper, "There's nothing to handle. Everybody in there is…dead."

The lieutenant stared at him as if he didn't understand what Horatio had said. He could see the despair and lose of hope in the boy's blue eyes. Apparently, he'd seen too much. Horatio didn't wait for a reply and, instead of walking to the paramedics, he went for Raymund.

Raymund ran to him and gave him a grave look, asking many things. "Horatio, what happened? W-who did this to you? Was it dad? Did he do this? Where's mom? Where is she?"

A paramedic came to Horatio to tend to his wounds, saying with concern, "Come on, let's get you cleaned up. You have a very serious injury." Before Horatio could decline, the paramedic said, "Don't worry, you're little brother can come along."

Horatio looked up and nodded, the three of them making their way through the police officers and squad cars. Horatio sat on the steps of the ambulance and was being checked out by the medic. "You're losing a lot of blood," he said, cutting of Horatio's shirt with a pair of scissors. "Let me take a look…"

Horatio ignored him and faced his terrified little brother, thinking that he had to say something now before he finds out the horrible news from the coroner. "Raymund," Horatio said, his voice choking. "I have something very important…to tell you."

"W-what is it?"

"Raymund, I want you to listen to me, okay?" Horatio said, leaning forward and wincing as the medic checked his injury. "Ray, no matter what happens I'll take care of you. I will never leave you alone, you got that?"

"W-what are you talking about? You're scaring me."

"I promise you, Raymund, I will do whatever it takes," he said. "I won't let them take you away from me."

"Stop this, Horatio," Raymund said as tears began to fill his eyes. "I want to see mom. Where is she?"

Shaking his head, the medic said. "Kid, you've been shot badly. Why didn't you tell me? We have to go to the E.R. now." He then tried to tug Horatio upward so he could put him in the ambulance but he refused. "Kid, we need to go to the hospital now."

Horatio ignored him and spoke. "She's gone, Raymund," he said as his eyes began to hold back tears. "Our mother…she's dead, Ray…dad…he…"

Raymund couldn't believe what he was hearing. He stared blankly at his older brother and swallowed the hard lump that was forming in his throat. "That's not true," he said, crying. "You're lying, Horatio. Where is she? Tell me! Where's mom?!"

Horatio hung his head and flinched as the medic tugged him. The medic said, "Kid, we have to go. You're losing a lot of blood!" Horatio was becoming dizzy now and was becoming very pale from all the blood loss. He was about to say something to his little brother when something caught his attention. He saw a gurney and knew what was on it.

Raymund's eyes widened as he saw the gurney and tears were falling freely from his eyes. He turned to his brother and pulled him into a tight embrace for needed comfort. Horatio groaned as Ray put him into a tight hug. Their shoulders bumped on each other and pain shot through where he was injured.

"Horatio…" Raymund said, his face buried in his older brother's chest.

Horatio wrapped his injure-free right arm on his brother as tears slowly stream down his cheeks to his neck. "I'm sorry…Raymund, I'm so sorry. I…I was too late. I couldn't save her."

Just then, another gurney came out and Raymund had a puzzled look. "Who…"

"That's…That's dad," Horatio said.

"Dad, too? What happened to him?"

Horatio thought about it for a second then replied, "I'm…not sure."

"What'll happen to us? Who'll take—"

"I already told you, Raymund," he said as his eyes closed. "No matter what happens, I'll be with you. I'll take care of you. I'll never leave you alone. I promise, okay?"

Raymund nodded and hugged Horatio tighter. "I know mom is looking out for us even though she's in heaven, isn't she, big brother?"

No answer came as he looked up to see what was going on. Horatio passed out, his head lying on Raymund's shoulder. The E.M.T.s carried him in the ambulance and Raymund went in as well. As the doors closed, they rushed to the hospital to bring the red-headed boy to the E.R.

Horatio awoke as he fell to the floor on his side. Marc untied him and shook him using his foot, saying, "Wake up, you piece of shit." Incredible pain shot through his body. His back hurt like hell. He could still feel the burning sensation on his back and wrists. His head throbbed and a huge lump made itself present. He was covered with dried blood. He couldn't move, especially if he didn't want to. He closed his eyes.

Marc pulled him up and dragged him to the bathroom. He then placed him inside the shower and said, "Maybe this'll wake you up." Marc reached for the handle and turned it. Cold water shot out and Horatio gasped and choked as he was being soaked.

Marc laughed at his son's state. He noticed the stunned look on his face and said, "Surprised that I didn't kill you, boy? Don't you worry your little ass. I will…after I make you suffer even more."

Horatio's vision was blurry but he could sense the joy in his father's voice and the smile on his face. His smile disappeared and said in a stern voice, "You better clean yourself up, boy. You're going to work."

Marc leaned forward and grabbed Horatio by the chin. Their faces were inches away from each other. "Tell anyone, boy, and I swear that your blood is not the only one that's gonna cover my hands, you got me," he threatened.

"Y-yes, sir," Horatio replied.

Letting go of his grip, Marc got out of the bathroom, leaving Horatio alone. Minutes later, Horatio heard a door being slammed shut. He figured that his father had left. He sat, making sure his back never touched the tiled shower wall, and brought his knees to his chest, wrapping himself with his arms. He saw his blood mix with the water as it went down the drain and buried his face in his arms as the cold water kept pouring on his broken body. He was afraid. His father left him alive so he could endure more misery and pain. He couldn't do anything. Fear had gotten the best of him. 'A failure…' he thought. 'That's what I am…'

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rick: Get the hell off me!!

Shiny: Shut up! And stop whining! Here! Have a cookie! (Shoves a cookie down Rick's throat)

Rick: humuffumuph!!

Shiny: Ah…that's much better.

Little Horatio: (taking a bite off a cookie) Nice one. Hey, Shiny-san, I was wondering why, you know, you were staring at me earlier?

Shiny: Oh, that! I, um…Well…(deep breath) you look like a boy—but don't get me wrong, it's just that…

Rick: (swallows the cookie with a huge gulp) Yeah…I HAVE been wondering about that…so was everybody else.

Little Horatio: (laughing) So that's been bothering you! Yes, I do look like a boy…have been since I was nine. It's the appearance that suits me but I am a girl. I don't just look like it. Now, that I'm sixteen it still suits me.

(Shiny and Rick's eyes widen)

Little Horatio: NO!!! I am NOT what you guys are thinking!!! That's gross!!!! Ewww!!

Rick: Whew…

Shiny: Nah! I wasn't thinking that!! You're right, it does suit you. You look…unique.

Little Horatio: Um…thank you.

Rick: You are SO lucky that I'm gonna be the star of this one…or else I would've called you a freak.

Little Horatio and Shiny: RICK!!!!!!!! (Stuffs his mouth with a box of cookies and leaves him choking)

Shiny: (sigh) I love it when I use cookies in so many ways.

Little Horatio: (grinning) Yeah, me too.


	11. Surprises

Little Horatio: (panting) GAH! That took so long!! I can barely breathe!!

Eric: Hey! Hey! I heard Stetler finally said it to you.

Little Horatio: Said what to me?

Ryan: That you look like a boy.

Little Horatio: So? (Glare) Have a problem with that?

Ryan: No… (Backing away)

Eric: Hey, Little Horatio, take it easy. Fortunately for Wolfe, you don't own anything so…you can't do anything.

Little Horatio: Do you have to rub that in so deep?

Eric: Yup.

Little Horatio: Sometimes you annoy me…

Eric: And sometimes YOU annoy ME and—

Little Horatio: Continue and I will take you off.

Eric: (zips his lips)

Ryan: (picking up something) Hey, you didn't tell us that we have cookies…

Eric and Little Horatio: …?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Chapter 11: Surprises

Picking up his cell phone and flipping it open, he pressed a button. Setting it beside his ear, he said, "Yeah?"

"Hey," the man on the other line said. "Get there safe?"

"Yup, I wouldn't be talking to you right now if I didn't, now, would I?"

"Yeah, okay," the other line replied. "I'm just checking up on you."

"Yeah, well, thanks for the concern."

The man on the other end chuckled and said, "Well, have a nice time and make the most out of your vacation because when you get back here, I'll work your ass like hell."

"With my three-day vacation, you think I don't know that?" he laughed.

"Oh, and Tim?"

"Yeah?"

"Say hello to Horatio and the others for me."

"Sure thing, Mac," Speed replied and closed his cell phone, looking through the big glass walls of Miami International Airport. He grabbed his bags and walked towards the doors that separated him from the place he once and still calls "home", Miami.

……………………………………………………………………

"Guys, have you seen Horatio?" said Calleigh as she entered the trace lab. "I've been calling him all morning and he never answered his cell and his phone. I'm starting to get worried."

"Calm down, Calleigh," said Ryan, looking into the microscope. "H is just a little late or something. No biggie."

"Wolfe, do you have ANY idea what time it is?"

"Uhh…" Ryan looked at the wall clock and read out loud, "11:15…okay…maybe he's NOT a little late. Come to think of it, he's never been late." He looked at Calleigh. "Great…Now, I'm worried."

Calleigh, now pacing, said," Maybe something happened. Maybe he's in trouble—"

"But…H didn't, you know, he didn't do his hobby, right?" Ryan said with a grim expression. "Dead man's liking?"

"Guys, guys," Eric finally spoke. "Chill, alright? Calm down. You guys are way exaggerating things. H must have overslept or something. Don't get your gloves in a bunch."

"Overslept?" Ryan said questioningly. "Come on, Delko, I've been working here for only three years and even I don't believe that. Horatio and overslept just don't mix."

"Besides, he left early yesterday, remember?" Calleigh reminded him. "And Paula said that he was kind of in a hurry."

"Maybe he was meeting with someone," Ryan suggested.

"Shut up," Eric said, feeling irritated.

Before Ryan could deliver his snappy retort, Valera appeared on the doorway, huffing. "Guys, you have to do something."

Calleigh, Eric and Ryan exchanged looks and ran out the trace lab.

……………………………………………………………

"What's wrong?" Ryan said as the three of them towards all the noise. A crowd had gathered and they pushed their way through. Finally, in the middle, they stopped abruptly, staring.

Stetler saw Ryan and got in front of his face. "What's wrong?! I'll tell you what's wrong! I have been waiting for your boss for over three fucking hours now!"

All of them just stared at him like he was losing his marbles.

"The three of you are hiding him, I know it!" Stetler said, pointing a finger accusingly at them. "Either one of you tell me where he is or I will find and drag his ass out myself!"

"What the hell are you talking about, Stetler?" said a pissed Eric.

"Horatio!!" Stetler yelled, the word echoing through the hallway, making more heads turn. Silence filled the floor.

"Where—is Horatio?" Stetler said, trying to calm down. "I have been waiting and waiting and he's still not here. Where is he?"

"We don't know where he is, Stetler," Calleigh answered him, maintaining her composure. "We've been trying to contact him all mornin'."

"You think I haven't tried that already?" Stetler said, beginning to lose his temper again. "If he doesn't get here in the next three minutes, I will personally go to his house and drag his ass out for questioning!"

Eric was about to say something very not nice when Calleigh beat him to the punch.

"Do that and risk losing an arm…or two," she said, defending her boss and friend and giving Stetler a look that could freeze an entire ocean.

Stetler scoffed and smiled, saying, "Was that a threat?" He took a step forward.

"Yes," she said directly, taking a step forward, not backing down and sizing up the often called "Pain in the Ass."

Stetler laughed and took another step forward, saying, "You think I'm scared of you, Duquesne?"

"You should be…"

Stetler and Calleigh turned theirs heads the direction of Delko and Wolfe.

The two of them said the sentence in unison, knowing all too well what horrible and terrifying things Calleigh was capable of doing. They've experienced it first hand after their boss tried to warn them. They knew when not to piss her off and this was one of those times when you just shouldn't dare. The scariest part was…everything she knew about handling guys like them came from Alexx.

The whole floor went tense when Stetler ad Calleigh caught each other's eyes and started a stare down. For three whole minutes, everybody was silent. Nobody moved and nobody dared to speak. Another minutes passed by and everybody's attention, including Stetler and Calleigh, went to the elevator as it dinged, arriving on the destination it was pressed to do.

30 feet away, Stetler, Calleigh, Eric and Ryan eyed the elevator door with the rest of the people on the floor as it slid open. And to everybody's relief, the man couldn't have picked a better time to arrive and to put a stop to all this.

"H," escaped Eric's mouth, knowing all too well the redhead he had worked for for the past five years.

Horatio Caine hung his head, looking at his shoes, as he walked out the elevator, oblivious of the heated conversation they were having about him.

Slowly, he continued forward, his head still down. He did it on purpose due to the fact of what happened last night and he wanted no attention from anybody about that matter. Part of his face was messed up, covered with cuts and bruises. The worst one was an annoying lump that made itself comfortable on his temple.

He had managed to find some bandages and placed it around his forehead. But it didn't hide completely the black and blue on the side of his face, near his temple and eye.

His hopes of concealing his puffy eyes and a portion of his bruise instantly jumped out the window as he found out that his sunglasses were crushed by a certain someone. Mental note…buy more than one pair of sunglasses.

He walked slowly, trying not to groan as he felt pain every time he moved his body. Even making a facial expression pained him. He just wanted to go straight to his office, shut everything—the door, the lights, the blinds, everything—and lock the door and wait until the darkness and silence consumed him entirely.

And yet, nobody wanted that simple thing to happen…especially one Rick Stetler.

Rick Stetler was red in the face. In short, he was very pissed at the moment. Here he was, standing on the hallway, surrounded by everybody he was annoyed with, and glaring at the man he had been waiting for—all morning, by the way—who was walking like a turtle, slow and with his head hung low and face hidden.

Balling his hand into a fist, Stetler stomped towards the man who had taken his time in coming to work at the people and at his expense.

"Horatio!" Stetler shouted across the hallway, 25 feet away, the CSIs on his trail.

Horatio ignored him.

20 feet away…

"I've been waiting for your ass all morning!!"

"Leave it, Stetler!" One of the CSIs said.

Again, Horatio ignored him, head still lowered.

15 feet away…

"Horatio, I want you to look at me when I'm talking to you!" Stetler shouted, stomping faster.

Nothing…

"Calm your ass down, Stetler," Eric said, pissed on how the sergeant talked to his boss, close friend and brother-in-law. ""H is already here so shut up."

"Yeah," Ryan agreed. "Making a lot of annoying noise isn't going to change anything…well, except ANNOY people."

5 feet away…

Stetler wanted to teach Delko and Wolfe a thing or two about respect but he had other things on his mind…like getting an explanation from the very late Lieutenant.

"Horatio, I'm talking to you!"

Finally, getting fed up with all the noise that was making his head hurt, Horatio shot Stetler a look that said it all…"Piss off."

Calleigh gasped, well, all of them did. Seeing him covered with bandages and black and blue, they were shocked to see their supervisor look like he got ran over…on the head. The question that was on all of their minds was revealed when Stetler was the first one to recover.

"What in the HELL happened to you?!" Stetler exclaimed.

"What…can I do for you, Rick?" said Horatio through gritted teeth, ignoring the question and their perplexed looks.

"You didn't answer my question, Horatio," Stetler said. He wanted to know what had happened, heck, everyone did.

Horatio, thinking that he didn't have time for this, was about to just walk past them and go straight to his office but was stopped when a gentle voice said, "Tell us what happened, Horatio."

The Lieutenant turned to Calleigh. He saw the concern on her face and he just couldn't say no to those beautiful caring green eyes. He had to think of something to say that sounded believable…something crossed his mind.

How about the truth?

"H," Eric said. All of them were waiting.

Horatio sighed and managed to fake a smile. A fake BELIEVABLE smile.

"I woke up…on the wrong side of the bed this morning," he said.

It wasn't really a lie. He really DID wake up on the wrong side of the bed…by the footboard.

Ryan and Eric exchanged glances and looked from their boss to their Bullet Girl.

Calleigh lifted an eyebrow. She clearly didn't consider a word Horatio had said. She hated it when people hid something THAT obvious especially when one of those people was her boss. She wanted to know the truth but decided to just play along with his fib for now. "Okay…then what happened to your face?"

Horatio dropped his gaze. It wasn't a surprise that Calleigh reacted like that. She didn't believe him. Infact, he thought, nobody did. 'Well, here goes another one,' he thought.

He raised his head but avoided their eyes, saying, "I…I hit the corner of my—(clears his throat)--bedside table."

Again, not a lie. And, again, they didn't believe him…figures.

"Horatio," Stetler said, half-laughing, "That has got to be the LAMEST excuse I've ever heard. And trust me, I've heard a LOT of lame excuses."

"You hit your bedside table?" Ryan said and imagined the situation. "With your face?"

Horatio sighed, saying, "Actually, with my head—and, yes, Mister Wolfe, to answer your questioning look, I am sometimes clumsy."

Eric just looked at him. Horatio, his boss and his brother-in-law was lying. Horatio would NEVER lie to his friends and, in a way, family…well, to Stetler, yeah, but to them? He just couldn't believe it. He would never lie about anything SO evident…wait, would he? Then the corner of his lips curved. The fact that Stetler was there changes everything. 'I mean, DUH!' Eric thought, 'Maybe, H didn't want him to know about it. Yeah…that's right.'

"If that's all then I'll be in my office."

Horatio desperately needed to lie down. The Advils he took wore off and he was becoming dizzy. His head was beginning to sting.

"Oh, no you don't, Horatio," Stetler said, grabbing Horatio by the wrist.

The Lieutenant let out a pained hiss as the Sergeant got his hand around his wrist. He quickly pulled it back to break Stetler's hold. The bandages he found in his medicine cabinet were only enough for the cut near his eye and the bruise on his temple. Everybody was taken aback by the sudden display of…well…the sudden display, ESPECIALLY Stetler. He had only cleaned his wrists and he couldn't reach his back. Damn the inability. The cuts and welts were, in short, left unattended.

Horatio glared at him, saying firmly, "That will wait for another time, Rick."

"Hell, I won't!" Stetler yelled. "I have been waiting for your ass all morning and I WILL get a statement from you whether you like it…or not."

"My gun…" Horatio mumbled.

"What?"

"I said I need my service pistol," Horatio repeated, thinking what would happen the next time his father reared his ugly head. He needed his gun…bad.

"It's still in processing," Stetler said, confused by the sudden change of topic. "Now, get your ass in gear and give me what I want."

Horatio couldn't take it anymore. His head was killing him and Stetler kept on babbling about…something! He was about to punch the living day-lights out of him when Calleigh stepped in, literally.

Standing between the two aggressive men, she said to Stetler in a professional manner, "Lieutenant Caine will give you his statements after twenty-four hours, meaning, tomorrow."

"And what makes you think that I'll give him another break this time?" Stetler said in a what-makes-you-think-that-I'll-give-him-another-break-this-time look. "I waited for him all morning. ALL MORNING!"

Calleigh looked at Stetler directly in the eyes and took a deep breath, preventing herself from viciously maiming him mercilessly. "Lieutenant Caine will not be able to give any statements today due to the fact that he had suffered a blow to the head making him unable to give a proper statement about the said shooting. Therefore, YOU will have to wait for twenty-four hours BEFORE you even CONSIDER anything he says to be reliable and/or relevant."

Stetler was lost for words. Duquesne was right. It was part of protocol. He had no choice. Oh, Damn her. His eyebrows furrowed, saying, "You got lucky again, Horatio. Your little girlfriend saved your ass. You dodged me this time but sooner or later I'll get what I want."

Stetler gave Horatio one last glare before he headed to the elevator, grumbling.

"Nice save, Cal," Eric said.

Calleigh let out a sigh of relief and turned to Horatio who quickly said, "Thank you, ma'am."

She gave him a look that was perfected by Alexx over the years she spent working with him. He was SO lucky that it was her right now, not Alexx.

"I'm not done with you, Mister," Calleigh said, taking Alexx's advice that was given to her ages ago. 'Don't ever let him get away with everything,' she remembered Alexx say.

"Calleigh, I—"Horatio started but was quickly cut off. Calleigh raising a hand for him to stop and turned to Eric and Ryan, saying, "Eric, Ryan, May we be excused? I need to have a little talk with our Lieutenant Caine here."

"Y-Yeah, sure," Eric said, nodding.

"Of course," Ryan said.

"Thank you," she said pleasantly and turned to Horatio with a glare. Understanding that message too well, Horatio turned around and marched away, leaving the three behind.

"What are you going to do, Cal?" Ryan asked once their boss was out of ear shot.

"Alexx's job," she simply said.

"Well, don't be hard on him," Eric said with a small smile. "He just lied because Stetler was there."

"I hope so," she said. "But why give such a, well, lame excuse?"

"You know him," Eric said. "Good at everything but bad at something."

"So, um…You WILL tell us, right?" Ryan asked.

"Calleigh?" Eric said, hoping she would.

"Oh, sure," she said with a smile.

"Thank god," Ryan sighed.

"Okay," She said, "Gotta let our L.T. spill."

"Good luck," the two men said.

"You think she's gonna be easy on H?" Ryan asked when Calleigh was out of sight.

"Nope," Eric said and got back to work.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Eric and Ryan: munch! Munch! Munch!

Calleigh: What are they eating?

Little Horatio: Cookies…

Calleigh: Where did they come from?

Little Horatio: From…a friend.

Calleigh: They're already spoiled, aren't they?

Little Horatio: You can say that…we stuffed those in Rick's mouth.

Calleigh: Gross… (Turns around) hey, guys! Guess what you're eating.

Ryan and Eric: Cookies!!

Calleigh: Oh, I will love this. (Prances off towards them)

Little Horatio: …? (Ignores the gagging sounds as she turns around) thank you for reading!! I hope you will be so kind enough as to leave a review…a good review…I hope.


	12. Surprises II

Little Horatio: Oh seemingly endless joy!! I finished chapter twelve!!

Horatio: (smiling a bit) Yes, you did.

Kiuna'yukina: (giggles)

Horatio: And who is this lovely lady?

Little Horatio: Oh, this is Kiuna'yukina. She's my best friend!!

Kiuna'yukina: Hello!!

Horatio: Well, nice to meet you Miss Kiuna'yukina. It's wonderful to meet one of Little Horatio's friends.

Kiuna'yukina: Nice to meet you, too! (Shaking his hand) you're Horatio Caine, right?

Horatio: Indeed, I am, ma'am.

Kiuna'yukina: Wow…I've heard so much about you…you're cool.

Calleigh: And don't forget handsome! (She added)

Little Horatio: I'm still bummed out that I don't own anything…

Kiuna'yukina: Wow…and you're Calleigh Duquesne, right?

Calleigh: Yup. The one and only.

Kiuna'yukina: You ARE beautiful…

Calleigh: Aww, now you're makin' me blush.

Rick: Have you heard about me?

Kiuna'yukina: …? Who are you?

Rick: Rick Stetler. The STAR of this fic.

Kiuna'yukina: Huh? No, seriously, WHO ARE YOU?

…………………………………………………………………………

Chapter 12: Surprises II

Silencing his engine, Speed got off his Ducati and took off his helmet. He felt the warm Miami heat on his face and the familiar Miami smell that filled his nostrils. Trailing his eyes from where he stood and to the MDPD Crime Lab, he saw some faces that he usually saw but not the ones he worked with.

Speed smiled a little. He couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces when he takes them by surprise.

…………………………………………………………………

Calleigh, arms crossed, looked at her boss as he took the offer of taking a seat on the exam table next to him. They were the only ones who still had breath in them in the autopsy room and they didn't mind to be in company of corpses. A shiver went down Horatio's spine, feeling the coldness of the steel exam table.

"Horatio, what happened to you?" she started. "And, please, tell me the truth."

Horatio looked at Calleigh with his exhausted blue eyes, thinking if he would tell her the WHOLE truth. No. Can't. "I already did, Calleigh," he said.

"You can't be serious," she said. "Are you?"

Horatio gazed down and smiled weakly. "I—"

"Stop right there," Calleigh said as she closed her and took a deep breath. "Horatio, you DO realize that I'm trying to help you, right?"

"You already did," he said, giving her a weak smile. "Thank you, Calleigh."

"So you're basically sayin' you're fine?"

"Yes, ma'am, I feel fine."

Calleigh lifted an eyebrow as he saw something red trickle down the side of her Lieutenant's face. "Okay," pretending she was okay with his answer. She prodded further. "So," she said, leaning on the exam table opposite to Horatio, "How was the trip to the E.R.? Did the doctor give you permission to get back to work already?"

Okay, Horatio has been pondering of an answer for that question the whole time, knowing that, sooner or later, they would ask him. Now, one of them DID and he still couldn't find a good excuse. 'Why am I cursed with the inability to create a good story?' he thought. The words that went out of his mouth were, "I, um…I was…Uhh…"

"You didn't go to the E.R. did you?"

"No," he said, shaking his head a bit. "I…I was thinking that Alexx would take care of it for me."

Calleigh sighed and said, "It's Alexx's day off, remember?"

"Oh…" Horatio just sat there silently, staring at his shoes. He lifted his head as he heard Calleigh close a cabinet door and watched her carry something back.

"What are you—"

"As you might have not noticed, Lieutenant Caine, you are bleeding," she said, opening the first aid kit and taking out some of its contents. Horatio wiped the side of his face and looked at his hands. He saw scarlet.

"Work with me, handsome," she said and reached for the bandage that was wrapped around his forehead. Horatio nodded. She began to slowly and gently remove it.

"So," she said casually while taking off the bandage. "Why DIDN'T you go to the E.R.?"

"I was…ashamed…"

"About what?" she said with a smirk. "About the bedside table thing?"

"Yes," managing to smile a bit. "The bedside table thing."

"Whoah," Calleigh let out. "That's one serious cut. And there's even a big nasty lump." She brushed her finger gently on the lump.

"OW!"

"I barely even touched it," Calleigh reasoned. "Are you SURE you're okay?"

"Mm-hmm," he nodded. "I just—AHH!" he raised his grabbed Calleigh's hand, stopping her. She just dabbed an alcohol soaked cotton onto his cut and it stung like hell.

"Stop moving, handsome," she said and continued on what she was doing. "Take it like a man."

Horatio glared at her and said, "You should have warned me, you know."

"I already did," she said, smiling cheerfully. "You said, 'Mm-hmm.'"

Horatio was about to raise his eyebrows and give her a you-cheater look but winced and shut his eyes tight as she continued dabbing his cut with the notorious alcohol soaked cotton. He let out a moan.

"Not my fault, handsome," she teased, not stopping dabbing his wound. "You should've gone to the E.R. but you didn't so…deal with it."

Horatio chuckled. "Yes, ma'am."

Calleigh laughed and Horatio relaxed a little bit, closing his tired eyes. Calleigh smiled, looking at him while his eyes were closed. She always thought of him as someone who's caring, thoughtful, helpful, and courageous, loyal, trustworthy; dedicated to everything and everyone he's involved with and, of course, handsome. 'But…he is so much more than that!' she thought. 'He's idealistic, he's a role model, he's compassionate, he's charming and he's such a loving individu—wait…I'm sounding like…oh…my…god…I have…a CRUSH on him!! I CAN'T have a crush on him! Oh, no…'

The voices inside her head were arguing. Two were yelling at her to stop falling for her boss and the other three were telling her to go for it.

Calleigh had always had feelings for Horatio that were beyond friendship but it just hit her now. It was bad news if a co-worker fell for their boss MAINLY if two of those people were her and the Lieutenant. All sorts of things could and would go very—VERY—wrong. Reasons? Well, for one Sergeant Idiotic Ass for Brains, Rick Stetler, would have a field day if he found out that there was something going on between them. Secondly, their jobs maybe on the line if anybody found out that they were dating. And, most of all, Horatio wouldn't agree. He'd say that he's too old for her and that it would interfere with their jobs.

A tremor shot through her body as she just realized something. It was only a couple of months ago that Marisol had passed away. And, for sure, Horatio was still mourning for her. There was no way that Calleigh would be able to replace Marisol and she wasn't even sure that Horatio would agree to that. And what would Eric say?

"Calleigh?"

'I'm so stupid,' she said to herself as she continued contemplating.

"Um…Calleigh…" Horatio said as she watched her get some more cotton.

'Great,' she thought, 'my heart is palpitating.'

"Uh…Calleigh…" he said, trying to get her attention again as she reached for the bottle of alcohol.

'Be still my heart,' she said to herself, trying to relax.

"CALLEIGH!"

At once, Calleigh went from her inner most thoughts and back to reality as some urgent voice kept trying to get her attention. She shook her head.

"Not to be ungrateful and rude, ma'am, but you're about to pour a bottle of disinfectant on my eyes NOT on the cotton and that would really—REALLY—sting like hell."

"W-what?" she said, confused. She looked at what she was holding. On one hand were a bunch of cotton and on the other was an open bottle of antiseptic slightly tilted next to the face—particularly the eyes—of Horatio.

"Oh, my god," Calleigh said, pulling away the alcohol and placing it in the kit. "I am so sorry!"

"It wasn't your fault, Calleigh," Horatio said, giving her a small smile. "Something just got your attention. It's nothing."

Calleigh looked away, a tint barely visible on her cheeks.

Horatio tilted his head, a question evident on his features. "Calleigh? Are you okay?"

Calleigh slowly took a glance at Horatio, but felt herself looking away with a jolt at the tingly feeling going up and down here spine. "I-I'm fine, Horatio."

Horatio tilted his head to the other side, smiling, and with a curious glance, said teasingly, "Horatio? What happened to handsome? Not that I mind but…"

He trailed off, leading Calleigh to look at him. She soon learned just seeing the visage of the man who had those beautiful blue eyes and that fine looking ginger-red hair made her heart shoot like a loaded firearm. Now, sporting an amazing scarlet on her cheeks, Horatio couldn't help but feel worried.

"Calleigh?"

"Y-yes?" She inwardly screamed, 'What's wrong with me? I'm…I'm stuttering!'

Horatio saw Calleigh fidget and edged on by insistent curiosity. He slowly raised his hand, slowly inching his palm close to her face. Calleigh, on the other hand, still blissfully oblivious to the present events but was suddenly jolted quite harshly to reality by a warm soft hand that gently caressed her cheek.

"H-Horatio!!"

The redhead, taken by surprise at her sudden scream, drew back a bit but still held his ground. "Yes? Is anything wrong? Calleigh, your cheeks are red…Are you feeling okay?" he said worriedly. "Tired? Do you feel dizzy? Have you been resting okay? Do you have a fever? You look like you're running a temperature…"

Calleigh was taken full force by the bombardment of questions and was inwardly berating herself. She then totally spaced out when she suddenly noticed Horatio moving closer and closer…inches from her face. Taken by surprise, she started inching backwards, eventually hitting the tray full of utensils. Horatio stopped as he heard a soft thud.

"Calleigh?"

Calleigh, breath-hitched, felt her throat run dry. She opened her mouth but no words came out.

Seeing her reply—or lack of it rather—Horatio slowly inched closer and closer until his forehead was touching hers. "Hmm…you don't seem to have a fever. I don't feel anything. You're running a normal temperature…then…why are you red? "

Calleigh, whose brain had run on overload, was, yet again, harshly brought back down from dream land.

"Ahh!" She doubled back, but leaning fully on the utensil's tray, the wheels rolled, the bandages, alcohol and other of the first aid kit's contents fell to the floor, taking Calleigh with them. Well…almost.

Horatio jumped off the exam table quickly and, by conditioned reflexes, caught Calleigh in a quite…hmm…interesting pose, by the way.

It felt like an eternity past until Horatio got to his senses and noticed the compromising situation they were in. Straightening both of them up, he took a deep breath and said, "Okay…so…Calleigh…are you really okay?"

Looking at Horatio now, Calleigh gave a shaky smile and said, "Yeah. I am now. Thanks to you, handsome."

Horatio smiled and gave a sigh of relief then flinched. He felt the pangs of dizziness wraps it's claws around him. Immediately, he held on to the autopsy table to maintain his balance but in the process, trapping Calleigh between HIS BODY and the autopsy table.

Calleigh feeling warm again at the sudden physical contact noticed his eyes closed and felt worry wash over her completely. Getting back to reality, she asked him, "Handsome? You okay? Where does it hurt?"

Horatio, seeing how concerned she was, gave her a slight smile to calm her down but pain was still evident on his face. It was then that Calleigh took charge, gently helping him to sit back down. And began to, once again, tend to his wounds.

"Thank you…Calleigh," Horatio said as he sat back down.

"Don't mention it, handsome," she said, smiling pleasantly.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"What do you think…?" Ryan asked as they continued their work in the trace lab.

"I think Calleigh is doing Alexx's job," Eric said happily as he examined evidence. "Giving our boss a good tongue lashing. I can't wait 'til Alexx gets a hold of H tomorrow. It's always funny when Alexx gives lectures to H not us."

Ryan stared for a moment and said, "No, Delko, I didn't mean that. What I meant was H's injury."

"Oh, that," Eric said, nodding. "Well…if H was serious about the bedside table thing? It must've been an accident. I mean, H can't suck that bad in making up a story, right?"

"Or…?"

"Or," Eric mimicked him. "It wasn't an accident and somebody clashed it out with him. But…I'm having doubts about that."

"Why?" Ryan asked.

"Hey, man, H might be that soft to look at but he's as hard as boulders," Eric said, proud that he's boss can be as gentle as bunnies but can be as tough as nails. "Have YOU ever seen H in a fist fight?"

"No," Ryan said. "Have YOU?"

"Yeah, but only one time," Eric said, sitting next to him.

"When?"

"A long time ago," Eric started the story. "I was a green CSI—only on my first few months—when Megan was still the Lieutenant. H had an argument with this big guy, a suspected killer of six innocents, about how H accused him of killing all those people. Now, the suspect thought that H was easy to handle. Hell, he thought wrong," Eric said with a big smirk on his face. "A huge fight broke out and it only ended in…what? 10 seconds?"

"That quick?" Ryan said in disbelief.

"Yeah, Eric said, "It was too fast. I thought H was a goner but the suspect was down on the floor in seconds."

"What happened to the case?"

"H proved himself to be right and the killer was sent to prison," Eric said. "For life without parole"

"So…" Ryan said and began to count. "…if it wasn't an accident and it wasn't a fight then…what?"

"I don't know," Eric shrugged. "It's not like somebody just secretly waltzed in his house and beat the hell out of him AND still LEAVE him alive. That's weird…far worse, that would be stupid."

"You know what would be weirder than that?" Ryan said.

"What?" Eric asked. "Tell me, oh great, Wolfe."

"What if somebody DID come to H's house and tied him down somehow," Ryan said, thinking about what to say next. "And…beat the hell out of him with…a belt? Yeah, now, THAT would be weird."

Eric stared at him with a look that said 'WTF!' He backed away a little, saying, "No…that would be extremely stupid. And, Wolfe? Keep your sick fantasies to yourself. You're freaking me out."

"Yeah…me, too…"

Eric and Ryan jerked around and saw the man who had been listening to them the whole time. The man slightly waved his hand.

"Hey…"

Eric smiled widely. Getting up from his chair, he gave the man a huge embrace.

"Speed!" Eric said, hugging the man tightly like giving him a bear-hug.

"D-Delko!" Speed exclaimed as the man slowly suffocated him. "Uh…Delko?"

"What?"

"I-can't-breathe!" Speed choked. Finally letting him go, Speed took a deep breath, filling his lungs with much needed air. "Thanks…" he said as he coughed a little bit.

"We missed you, man," Eric said cheerfully. "I missed you."

"Can't live without your wingman, can you?"

"Yeah, I've been having a little trouble picking up the ladies ever since my wingman left for New York," Eric said, wrapping his arm around the shorter man's shoulders.

"That's what I am to you?" Speed snapped, shooting him a look with his lazy eyes. "You missed me because you had trouble hooking up with girls?" he said, sounding a little more hurt than he intended to.

"Well, yeah…part of it," Eric shrugged. "How can the ladies find me attractive when I'm not next to someone LESS attractive than me?"

"Shut up…ass," Speed replied. He then turned to Wolfe and held out a hand…lazily. "Timothy Speedle."

Ryan hesitated but accepted the impromptu introduction. "Ryan Wolfe. Nice to finally meet the famous Tim 'Speed' Speedle," he said, shaking the man's hand.

Speed looked at him cynically and turned to Eric. "Delko, have you been ranting about me again?"

…………………………………………………………………………

"There," Calleigh said. "All done."

"Thank you, ma'am," Horatio said with a smile. He raised a hand and started to scratch his bandaged temple.

Calleigh instinctively slapped the back of his hand and said, "Nuh-uh, handsome, you know better than to scratch that. You'll loosen your bandage."

"Sorry," Horatio said embarrassingly. He was absentmindedly rubbing his wrist.

"Handsome, what's that?" Calleigh asked leaning forward and pointing a finger.

"Huh?" He looked where she was looking at and he stopped abruptly on what he was doing. He then straightened his sleeve, hoping that she didn't see his wrist. "Um…I was just…fixing my sleeve," he said.

"I thought I saw something," she said, leaning a little more forward. "Let me take a look…"

"No, Calleigh, I—"

The doors burst open and in came a loud Cuban voice, saying loudly, "People in the autopsy room! Dead or alive! Cold or warm! Still or moving! May I present to you a former CSI level three here in Miami—and my wingman of all time—Tim Speedle!!"

Because of all the commotion, Calleigh was startled out of her wits and fell forward, landing onto Horatio's lap.

Instead of a warm hug fest welcome, nobody moved and nobody talked. Silence was the loudest thing you'll ever hear in the autopsy room right now. Eric, Ryan and Speed gawked at the southern belle and at the redheaded Lieutenant as they pulled away from each other with a blink of an eye.

Thoughts were pouring out of their minds as they stared at each other. Speed came back to his senses first.

"Okay, now, YOU guys are really freaking me out," he said with his lazy drawl. "I mean, I leave here for three years and you two are going at it? In the autopsy room? Near dead guys? Go to a closet or something…"

Horatio slightly shook his head as both of them straightened up, blushing immensely. He cleared his throat and said, well, tried to say, "I, um…we, uh…It's—"

"It's not what you think," Calleigh finished for him quickly, trying to pull herself together.

"Riiiiiiiight…" Eric said, smirking.

"I think we should leave these to alone," Ryan said and reached for the door handle.

"Shut it, Wolfe," Calleigh snapped, shooting a murderous glare.

Speed chuckled and walked towards the two. "Yeah…yeah…I missed you, Cal."

"Missed you too, Timmy," she said, pulling him into a tight hug.

Once Calleigh released him, Speed went to the Lieutenant who held out a hand, saying, "Nice of you to visit, sir."

Speed looked at him quizzically and eyed his hand. "What?" he said with mock hurt. "No warm hug? No pats on the back?"

"Not this time," Horatio answered, smiling uneasily at the thought of his back being patted roughly with all those welts. No way…

"Yeah, well, you owe me," Speed said, thinking that the reason for H not wanting a hug was that he would put or stick something on is back…like the last time. "So," he said, looking around. "Where's mother hen at?"

"Today's her day off," Eric responded.

"Okay…then…how about lunch?" Speed suggested. "I don't know about you guys but I could eat a whole dinosaur…assuming they still walked the Earth."

Looking at his watch, Ryan said, "It's already past twelve so…yeah."

"Who's buying?" Eric asked, purposely looking and waiting for Speed to answer.

Speed sighed and glared at Eric irritatingly. "Okay, okay…I'm buying."

"That's my wingman!" Eric said happily, slapping Speed.

"That hurt…smart-ass," Speed mumbled, rubbing his shoulder.

They were beginning to walk away but doubled back, Speed, saying, "Hey…you two coming?"

"Yeah," Calleigh said and walked past them. "Free food, right?"

"Right…"

"Then let's go."

"Hey, H…"

Horatio just stood there, hands on hips. 'This is a bad idea,' he thought as his fingers were tapping on his shiny badge.

"Come on, H! Speed's treat!" Eric shouted, his voice echoed in the autopsy room.

"Keep your voice down, Delko," Speed said, being annoyed. "You might wake up the dead."

'HE might be lurking around,' Horatio thought.

"Hey! Earth to Horatio!"

"Right behind you…" Horatio finally answered, managing a smile.

Speed nodded and the four of them continued forward. He cupped his ears to muffle the bombardment of food the three wanted to order.

Horatio, holding the handle of the door, looked back. He saw the dead bodies on some of the exam tables and hoped, against all odds, that nobody he knew would occupy them.

"I'd kill myself…" he mumbled and gently closed the door, letting silence, once again, have its way in the cold room.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Little Horatio: Thank you so much for everything!

Kiuna'yukina: heheh! Don't mention it! I was glad to help!! (Sees Stetler) EEEKK!

Rick: What do you mean you don't know me?!

Kiuna'yukina: Eww…get away from me!

Little Horatio: Rick, stop it. You're scaring her.

Rick: But she doesn't know me!!

Little Horatio: Nobody cares…

Rick: I DO!!!

Kiuna'yukina: Like Little Horatio said, nobody cares…

Rick: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kiuna'yukina: Is he always like that?

Little Horatio: Yup…ALWAYS…

Rick: She doesn't know me!!!!

Horatio: Oh, calm down, Rick, don't worry. Nobody cares…

Rick: SHUT UP!!!!


	13. Alone

Hypergolic: Horatio sweetie, come and sit down, you've had a pretty rough time in the last few chapters. Are you feeling okay now?

Horatio: It hasn't been very nice just lately, but I'm sure I'll be fine. (Smiles weakly) Thank-you Ma'am.

Rick: (barges in) Hey, How come no one asked me how I was after Shiny viciously attacked me?

Hypergolic: Oh, pipe down, she didn't attack you, she just sat on you a little bit. Besides, you deserved it. (Turns back to look after Horatio)

Rick: (sulks) why isn't anyone paying attention to me?

Hypergolic: Shush! Go and sit over there, out of the way, and try to be nice for a change.

Rick: But I'm the STAR!

Hypergolic: (fixes him with an evil stare)…

Rick: You're mean. (Starts to jump up and down, shouting) Pay attention to me! Pay attention to ME!

Little Horatio: (walks in) what on earth is all the noise about in here? It's disturbing my writing.

Hypergolic: Sorry Little Horatio, Rick's being irritating.

Little Horatio: Again?

Hypergolic: Uh-huh. Can I shoot him?

Little Horatio: I'd rather you didn't. The last time you shot one of the characters, I had to change the carpet. (Saying to herself) You just can't get the bloodstains out…

Rick: Y'know I'm really glad that all the characters here are the property of CBS and that neither Little Horatio nor Hypergolic own us. (Sticks tongue out at Hypergolic) Ha! Ha! You don't own me.

Hypergolic: (turns to Little Horatio) Are you sure I can't shoot him? Just his leg? Please!

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Chapter 13: Alone 

He sighed. They were at it again, the same argument but with a different topic, a very different topic. He watched as the younger tried to get his way out of this one.

"Just leave me alone!" the young teenager cried out. "It's none of your business!"

He was getting tired of this but said gently, "Listen to me. I know what's good for you. I—"

"Shut up!" the younger snapped. "You think you know everything! Guess what? You don't!"

"Yes, I do, Raymund," the redhead said, trying for the umpteenth time to convince his little brother. "I'm your big brother, I SHOULD know everything. And I'm telling you now that…what you're about to do will…" he let out a breath. He was tired, more than tired. He was fatigued. He had been working very hard to keep everything together ever since their parent's death and his little brother were making things too complicated to handle.

Now, after the deaths that he wanted to forget, Horatio had turned a little older, a little wiser, a little of…well, everything, considering the fact that their parents died almost four years ago. Still a little under aged himself, he did everything he could so that the two of them were not to be separated. That included withdrawing a sack of lies from the International Bank of Lies, just to name a few. He could not let anything or anyone get in the way of what he had worked so hard to maintain.

"…what you are about to do will end badly for you," the seventeen year-old Horatio said, finishing his sentence.

"You don't know that," Raymund yelled. "You—"

"YES, I do, Raymund," Horatio repeated, his head was starting to pound. That was NOT a good sign. "They will take you away and lock you up. You DO know what I'm talking about, don't you, Raymund?"

Raymund remained silent so the older continued.

"I've seen a lot of kids end up in cages, Raymund," he said. "They're not like you and you are certainly not like them. Don't be."

"But they're all doing it," Raymund reasoned. "Why can't—"

"So what if they're doing it?" Horatio said, looking sternly at his brother and maintaining his composure. "You're not them, Raymund. You're a Caine for Christ's sake! Act like one. Use your head. You're smarter than that."

The boy broke his gaze, turning the other way. He knew that he was defeated. His big brother was right. He's ALWAYS right.

Horatio watched his brother, waiting for his answer. He couldn't let his brother destroy himself like this. He'd let his mother down if he did.

"I'm…sorry," Raymund mumbled, finally giving in to his brother's convincing.

"Its okay, Raymund," Horatio said, his voice carrying the sigh of relief. He pulled his little brother into a tight embrace. "It's okay…"

"Drugs are stupid, anyway," Raymund said, his chin resting on the shoulder of his big brother. "And drug addicts, too."

"Yes, they are," Horatio agreed, smiling his tired smile. 'And THAT would be the last thing that the Caines should be known for."

He had been awake for a brief period of time but still he kept his eyes closed. Killing time…that was the only thing he was doing. From the moment he entered his office, he did what he had wanted to do. He closed everything, from the lights, to the blinds and to locking to door. After that, he made himself as comfortable as he could on the sofa, laying his head on one of the arm rests and his feet on the other.

Now, abruptly woken up by one of his dreams again, he laid motionless, eyes still too tired to open.

Raymund Caine, as Horatio remembered him, was a do-first-before-think kind of guy. Sure, he was smart but he was also dumb at the same time. As a kid, getting straight A's and winning science fairs weren't always enough for him. He had always yearned for more. He wanted to prove himself. He wanted to prove to everybody that he was like his big brother, not just his shadow. He never wanted to be known as "Horatio's little brother." He wanted to be known as "Raymund Caine."

Before long, the young boy turned into a young adult, following in his big brother's footsteps and dedicating his life to serve and protect the innocent. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out as well as he had planned. Let's just say it didn't work out.

Why was it that Raymund was the one who was craving for more when Horatio just does what he does and gets all the attention? Raymund did everything his big brother did, maybe even more, but still he was just a mere shadow of the one he calls "big brother."

Finally, not taking anymore of his brother's success, Raymund transferred to the Narcotics Division, hoping that he would be known for who he truly was…"Raymund Caine."

Getting wind of this, Horatio had a talk with his brother, thinking that the consult would change his brother's mind. He begged him to reconsider, doing everything in his power to convince his little brother that he was making a big mistake. He even brought up Yelina and Ray-Jay. Much to Horatio's dismay, Raymund told him the exact same words he said to him years and years ago, "Just leave me alone. It's none of your business." This time, Horatio had failed. He watched his brother from the sidelines as he was being swallowed by the world of narcotics.

Time quietly but quickly passed and, sadly, took Raymund along with it. Only a year in the Narcotics Division, Raymund Caine died a cop's death but there were rumors flying around that he was a dirty cop. Of course, Horatio denied such rumors but it didn't stop people from thinking otherwise. For years, Horatio had suffered the blows of his little brother's blunders, questioning not only the competence of Raymund but the redhead's competence in serving the system as well.

Horatio, after his case with Bob Keaton, had the feeling that his little brother was not dead. That Raymund's passing was just a ploy to make everybody, including his brother, wife and son, think that he was really gone.

Face to face with the person he thought he'd failed and lost for so many years, he was about to say something to get his inner anger out when Raymund cut him off, short and sweet. "I don't have time for your long lectures, big brother. I need your help."

After saving Raymund's son, who was also Horatio's nephew, his ONLY nephew, Horatio planned for Raymund and his family's getaway. Just outside the plane, Yelina and Ray-Jay already in it, Raymund and Horatio embraced fiercely, exchanging on what they think would be their last farewells. "You think you can take it? Start again from the very beginning?" Raymund smiled and laughed a little. "Of course, I can take it. I'm a Caine, remember?" Horatio smiled unsure on how to act and just nodded. Watching from a distance, Horatio looked up high as Raymund, Yelina and Ray-Jay flew away, leaving him alone. Again.

Finding his brother beaten to death in a small shack in the middle of the forest in Brazil was too much than he could possibly take. He couldn't bear seeing Raymund in such a state. Gently, Horatio placed a hand over his brother's battered face. He closed Raymund's eyes. "I love you…" No tear streamed down his cheek, not a single one. He'd seen too much death. And the ability just became too common for him. He was capable of bottling everything up, not letting anybody or anything penetrate the hard shell he had worked painstakingly long for.

Only one person was responsible for all of this. And it was him, even though he was no where near him when the beating began. And that was the problem. He was nowhere near Raymund when he was brutally beaten, all because of him. It was Horatio who drove him away, making him do the things he did so that he could prove himself. If he wasn't so naive, none of this would've happened, none of this would've happened to Raymund. He'd lost his mother, his wife and, now, his little brother…twice. Death was always by Horatio's side and it did not hesitate in taking everything he loved. His life was cursed and the only thing he could do was to deal with it the best way he could. Now, it gave him another pain, another burden to carry. He had to go through all these alone…never letting anyone go through what he was going and never letting any of them know what he was suffering from…………himself.

Horatio jerked his eyes open as he jolted on the sofa, the silence, broken by the shrieks ad noise from outside his office.

"Ugh…" he said, sitting up carefully and rubbed the back of his neck. "Eric and Mister Wolfe……"

He knew the voices—shrieks—very well and he would bet his left leg that it was Eric Delko and Ryan Wolfe. The two were like seven year-olds. He guessed that the two were playing pranks at each other again and that one of them out-smarted the other. The only difference was…Speed was included and, for sure, he'd increase the shenanigans tenfold.

He laid back down again, feet crossed at the ankles and fingers intertwined. He stared at the ceiling, thinking about the events that had happened during their lunch break. Everything was going fine. Speed told them about how life was in New York as a CSI. He told them about Mac Taylor, his new boss, and his other colleagues. They laughed and enjoyed themselves, but the fun descended a bit when the topic shifted and they were talking about the redhead.

"So, H," Speed said after swiping the Lieutenant's breadstick. "What DID happen to you?"

"Hmmm?"

"Come on, H," Speed insisted, taking a bite of HIS breadstick. "You think I won't notice something THAT noticeable?" he said, indicating the bandaged forehead.

"It's…nothing," Horatio said, ducking his head a little.

"Really…" Speed said idly, raising an eyebrow.

"Come on, H. Stettie isn't here anymore," Eric said.

"Stetler?" Speed said questioningly. "What's Idiotic Ass for Brains got to do with this?"

"Nothing, really," Ryan said, leaning back. "He was just waiting for H all morning."

"All morning?" Speed turned to Horatio. "Where were you all morning? More importantly, WHAT were you doing?"

Horatio glared at his empty plate and was fondling his fork. Sometimes, Delko and Wolfe couldn't really shut their mouths, could they? Shrugging, he said, "I was just……late."

"Late?!" Speed repeated disbelievingly, now with both eyebrows raised. "You were late? You were ACTUALLY late?! But you're never late! EVER!"

"Yes, Speed," Horatio said, a little irritated. His head was beginning to throb again. "I was late."

"Go easy on him, Speed," Eric said, laughing a bit. "H is human too, you know."

"So H wasn't human when I was around?" Speed said, proving a point. He had worked for the redhead for over eight years and not once did he see H be late for anything. Well…if it was doing amounts of paper work and avoiding Megan Donner then…yeah, he'd deliberately be late. He could tell that something was wrong with the Lieutenant and he wanted to know what.

"It was something…" Horatio cleared his throat, not sure about continuing this conversation. "…stupid."

"Stupid?" Speed reiterated. Now THAT really got his attention. He couldn't even picture Horatio with something stupid and now the redhead says that something stupid happened to him. This is new…

"It wasn't stupid," Calleigh joined in after finishing her drink. "It was more like…an accident."

"An accident?" Speed restated.

Eric looked at Tim, said, annoyance in his voice, "You know, it's really annoying when you keep repeating everything they say."

Speed glowered at Eric and gave him a look that said, "Shut up," and resumed his discussion with the blonde and the redhead. "What accident? Where?"

"At home…" said the Lieutenant, finally looking at Speed with his beat blue eyes.

"Yeah," Ryan intruded, sniggering. "The only witness was his bed."

"AND the suspect was his bedside table," Eric added, not being able to hold his laughter anymore as he visualized Horatio hitting his bedside table. And he thought he was clumsy.

"Wait, wait, wait," Speed said, raising a hand for a bit of quiet and picturing the information he just received. "You mean to tell me that you were in bed and hit your bedside table? With your face?"

"No. With his head," Ryan corrected him happily, the same way Horatio had corrected him…except for the happily part.

Horatio rolled his eyes and sighed. 'Sometimes, I want to bop your head, Mister Wolfe,' he thought.

Speed gave Horatio a tell-me-that-what-I-just-said-was-a-sack-of-bull look. He waited for the redhead's confirmation on this.

"Yes."

"Do you even expect a CSI like me to believe that kind of story?" the cynic said. "You have got to be kidding me."

"No, Speed," Horatio said, feeling that all eyes were on him now. "I'm not."

Luckily, before their little chat got any further, Horatio's cell phone rang. Words were exchanged and after a minute or two, Horatio stood up, excusing himself.

"Sorry, Speed," Horatio said, pocketing his cell phone. "The Brass wants me."

"The Brass can wait, H," Speed said with his twang of laziness.

"I'm sorry, Speed," the redhead said, seriousness in his voice.

Speed looked at him with his lazy eyes and sighed, trounced. "Yeah, whatever, just remember, you owe me…big time. And you need to pay your debt BEFORE I go back to New York."

"Yes, sir," Horatio nodded. "And thank you."

Horatio bid them good-bye and went on his way to Miami-Dade Police Department and Crime Lab.

Now, lying on his sofa, Horatio couldn't resist a smile as he thought about the deed he had done. He knew it was bad and it was downright rude, but he couldn't take it anymore. His head was pounding and he wanted to lie down badly.

He had consciously let his cell phone ring, without letting anybody become aware of the situation, and pretended that he was talking to someone and that someone was the Brass. He'd done a nice job faking it and even convinced his friends that the Brass needed him.

Blinking several times, Horatio stared at the dark ceiling as if expecting it to change color any time soon. 'Friends,' he laughed silently at the thought. He had lied to his…well, not exactly. He told HALF the truth but considered it as a lie anyway, especially if you're a CSI. He had not only lied to his friends, he tricked them so that he would be alone.

He DID get away with it…and he felt guilty. He wanted to tell them everything, mainly, Calleigh. But he couldn't dare. He SHOULDN'T dare. Like his damn father had said, "Tell anyone, and I swear, your blood is not the only one that's gonna cover my hands." Horatio also remembered him say that he had been watching him for a long time.

Speaking of said bastard, what was Horatio to do when HE comes back? He still didn't have his gun and what if he was at HIS house already? Waiting. Horatio sat up and swung his legs to the side of the sofa, shuddering at the thought. 'I am NOT going back there,' he said to himself.

"I can't…"

He mutely cursed himself as trepidation was scattering all throughout his body again. Why was he so afraid of the old man? He wasn't a child anymore so why does he feel this uncontrollable fear deep inside him? He didn't understand—he COULDN'T understand. He was already a middle-aged man for Christ's sake and he still couldn't escape his childhood trauma. So much for the notable and intrepid Horatio Caine. What a joke…

Horatio buried his face with his hands as he placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. He sighed a sigh of grief. What was he to do? What COULD he do? Only one thing crossed his mind. The only thing he could do…

"I have to—"

Knock! Knock!

Horatio lifted his head and looked around. He got up slowly as he remembered he had locked the door. He stared down at his shirt and started leveling it, doing the same with his sleeves. He opened the door.

"Hey, handsome," said the southern belle gladly as Horatio opened the door.

"Calleigh?" Horatio said. His eyes squinting as the light from outside his office beamed in.

"I see that you've closed everythin' again," she said, walking in. "Especially the lights," she added, observing the darkness.

Both of them turned their heads as they heard noise outside, probably at one of the labs. Horatio turned to Calleigh.

"The Fish Man and the Wolfe-boy are at it again," she said perkily, hearing another shriek.

"And need I ask why?" Horatio said, tilting his head.

"Speed helped Ryan in gettin' Eric's foot stuck in the toilet," Calleigh laughed, covering her mouth. "Eric has been chasin' them around the whole floor. It's disturbin' really but funny."

Horatio smiled, hearing this. It wasn't what he expected for Speed to do but it was close. "Well," he said, "hearing Speed assist Mister Wolfe in getting Eric's foot stuck in the toilet is far more entertaining than just hearing him add the pranks and noise." He paused for a while. "Since when did Speed decide to become such a delinquent?"

"Maybe he thinks he could get back at Eric for every trick he pulled on him," Calleigh suggested. "With the help of Ryan, of course."

"Getting back by shoving Eric's foot down the toilet and getting it jammed there?" Horatio smiled a little more and said sarcastically, "Wow……what a way to get back."

"I didn't know you could use a toilet for revenge," Calleigh said cheerfully. "Guess you can."

"Hmmm…the wonders of modern technology…" Horatio said fleetingly. "…assuming that a toilet IS part of modern technology."

Calleigh laughed heartily, wiping a tear from her eye. "I'm so glad your back," she said, giggling.

Horatio tilted his head the other way and looked at her quizzically. "I was gone?"

"No, silly," Calleigh said, giggling even harder. "What I meant was…it's good to see your old self again."

"Old?" Horatio said, giving her an I'm-old look.

"No, Horatio!" Calleigh said, laughing at her Lieutenant's remarks. "I meant…It's nice to see you smile again…like that."

Horatio looked at her and couldn't help himself from turning away as his cheeks displayed a tinge of red. "But…I always smile like this," he said, facing her again as he remembered that they were standing in the middle of his dark office. Thank god…

"Oh, no, you don't, handsome," Calleigh disagreed, shaking her head, her bright hair swaying. "I don't know why but…these past couple of weeks, more importantly this mornin'…you look like you've been shoved in the dumps."

Horatio chuckled. "Don't you mean DOWN in the dumps?"

"Down, shoved…you're still in the dumps," she said, finding no trouble in comparing the two.

Horatio hung his head, saying nothing. He knew where this conversation was going and he didn't want to go there. Really, he didn't, yeah, but Calleigh did.

"So…" she said casually, hoping her feelings for him wouldn't get in the way of their subject…him. "…you wanna talk about it?"

Horatio looked at her, her beauty barely visible because of the darkness. Damnit! The only source of light was the beam coming from the open door. He fought the urge to tell her everything, but gentleness and concern was making things a little too difficult right now.

Calleigh sighed at Horatio's silence. "Look, Horatio, I know there's something wrong and I know it's hard but keeping it to yourself won't make it go away," she said, her voice filled with unease.

'I'll find a way to make it go away,' his mind said.

"You can tell me, I'm worried," she said, almost begging. "Eric and Ryan are worried—even though they don't show it—the big 8 year-olds. And Tim…he's worried too, Horatio."

"Speed?"

"Yes, Horatio. Tim is worried about you—and don't you change the topic!" she snapped, pointing a finger. She knew Horatio had a talent in evading certain issues he didn't like. But it was time for him to stop hiding everything and start telling his friends—HER—the problem.

"I'm sorry," he said, dropping his gaze.

"I'll only accept your apology IF you tell me what's been botherin' you," she said, setting him straight.

'A big sadistic and maniacal bastard called Marc Anthony Caine! That's what's been bothering me!' his mind screamed. Horatio thought for a bit, hesitating. Telling her would be a mistake. Tell her or not, his heart wasn't ready for the outcome. He had to decide.

Horatio sighed. "Okay," he said, finally giving in. "Okay, Calleigh, I'll tell you…" He shifted and cleared his throat.

"My fa—"

CRASH!!

It startled them both, hearing something shattering, followed by a loud thudding sound. Horatio and Calleigh exchanged looks and got out of the office, going down the few steps of stairs. They followed the noise of…laughter?

Walking quickly, they neared the corner of the break room. Going in, they saw a smiling Speed and a dancing Ryan, shaking his butt from left to right, laughing and acting like a drunk. By the counter, Eric lay on the floor, surrounded by shattered coffee cups that, luckily, weren't theirs.

Horatio examined the scene. Eric was rubbing the back of his neck, his eyes squinting. The redhead's eyes trailed to the soaked foot of the young Cuban, apparently the one that had been lodged inside the toilet. His pant leg, sock, and shoe were of blue-ish color.

"Eric, what happened?" Calleigh asked.

"He slipped," Speed answered, smiling his signature lazy smile.

"You should have seen him," laughed Ryan, clutching his ribs. "He kept chasing and skidded across the break room!"

Horatio placed his hands on his hips, watching Ryan laugh and Speed grin. Calleigh, on the other hand, or in this case, foot, went to Eric to help him up.

Before giving him a hand, Calleigh asked, "You didn't touch your foot, did you?"

"Ugh…no…" Eric said, getting up with the help of Calleigh. "Ow…" he said, rubbing his neck.

Horatio let out a breath. He was massaging his bandaged forehead with his thumb and was looking at the mess the three made. "Okay, gentlemen," he said, closing his eyes as he felt a sharp pain cross his head. "I think everybody has had enough fun for one day. Do you agree, Eric?"

"Yeah…" Eric replied, flexing his neck.

"Mister Wolfe?"

"S-sure," Ryan said, covering his mouth to muffle his giggles.

"Speed?"

"Whatever…" Speed said, sounding bored and tired again.

"Why don't you guys clean up?" Calleigh said. "We're goin' clubbbin' remember?"

"Yeah," Speed nodded and turned to Eric. "Let's go, toilet man."

"Shut up," Eric snapped, following Speed and Ryan out of the break room, heading for the locker room.

The minute the three were gone, Horatio leaned on the counter. He blinked several times and decided to shake his head. 'Nice move, Horatio,' his thoughts said to him as his headache doubled. 'Stupid…'

Calleigh gently placed a hand on his shoulder, asking, "Are you okay, Horatio?"

"Yes, I'm fine," he said, regaining his balance. "Thank you."

"Why don't you go home and get some nice descent sleep?" she suggested.

'Go home,' Horatio's mind said. 'Yeah, right……like hell I will.'

"It'll do a lot good with that head injury of yours," she added. "Besides, our shift is already over."

Before Horatio could reason his way out of this one, Calleigh took his hand, saying, "Come on, I'll walk you to your Hummer."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Already outside the building, Horatio said, "I'll take it from here, ma'am."

"You sure?" Calleigh said. "I don't mind, you know."

"I know you don't, ma'am," Horatio said, his lips slightly curving. "But I do."

"Always the gentleman, aren't'cha, Lieutenant?" she said, crossing her arms.

Horatio smiled wearily and said, "Have a good time with the boys, Calleigh. And please, stop them from doing anything…"

"Stupid? Dumb? Idiotic? Regrettable?" she suggested cheerfully. "Regrettably idiotic that's the same with dumb and stupid?"

Horatio just smiled as she kind of finished the sentence for him. "Yes."

"Don't worry, handsome, I'll keep watch," she said pleasantly. "Have a good time sleepin'."

Horatio smiled nervously and then turned around and headed for his Hummer, thinking, 'I'm going somewhere that's no where near my house.'

"I swear, something is wrong with that man," Calleigh said to no one but herself, watching the redhead go in Hummer H2.

Horatio couldn't move or, rather, DIDN'T want to move. He had to stay calm and still. He shouldn't lose his cool…yet.

The moment he entered the silver Hummer and sat on the driver's seat, he knew he had made a big mistake. He could feel the cold metallic object being pressed hard on the back of his head.

"One false move, boy," a deep threatening voice said to Horatio's ear, pressing the gun further on the victim's head. "One false move and you can kiss your ass 'good-bye', you got me?"

Horatio swallowed and moistened his dry lips. "Yes, sir."

"Start the Hummer," Marc said. "You know where to go."

Horatio did as he was told and started the departmental Hummer. 'What have I gotten myself into?' he thought as he drove away from the parking lot, in time, leading to another brutal beating.

"That's weird," Calleigh said as she watched the Lieutenant drive away. "I thought I saw H with someone there, for a sec." She shrugged, dismissing the thought.

The doors opened and out came Speed, Eric and Ryan. One of them asking, "You ready, Cal?"

"Yup. Let's go…"

………………………………………………………………………………………

Horatio was violently pushed inside the house as the door opened. He stumbled but did not allow himself to fall.

Marc, pissed by this, jabbed him on the back of his neck with the gun he was holding and watched Horatio as he fell to the floor with a loud thudding sound. Now, this made Marc feel a little better, but only a little. He looked at his watch. 'So much to do in so little time,' he thought amusingly.

"Get up, boy," Marc sneered.

Smiling devilishly, Marc pulled him up. He then grabbed Horatio by the neck and slammed him to the wall with all his might.

The house looked like it shook with the force Marc exerted in slamming his own son to the wall. Even in such pain, Horatio did not let anything escape his mouth. He was doing everything in is power to not give his father the satisfaction he was longing for. This angered Marc even more so he changed his footing, took his left arm and slammed Horatio to the floor, his hand not changing its location.

Again, Horatio did not let anything out. He refused to show his father that he was in pain, not even letting out a mere moan.

"Playing tough, aren't'ya, boy?" Marc said. Not taking his hand off him, he thought for a moment then had an idea. A vicious smile appeared on his face. "Tell me…how's your shoulder doing?"

Suddenly, Horatio stopped breathing like he was being choked by invisible hands. His eyes went wide. He wasn't sure if he had heard right. He HOPED he hadn't hurt right. He started to thrash around. He wanted to be on his feet. He didn't want the old man near him, especially near his left shoulder.

He had been shot at that specific shoulder at the age of fourteen; the bullet went right through his shoulder. It wasn't a very happy experience. He still had recurring nightmares about it. Horatio's had rough time dealing and coping with everything with only his right hand. Sigh…the curse of being a lefty. After two months of recovery and two months of using only his right hand, he had gotten used to being a righty and kept it that way, of course, using his left just the same but…not as much now.

Horatio was gritting his teeth. He was too exhausted to fight him off. He could feel his shoulder wrenching. The weight of his father made it hard for him to breathe.

"You okay there, boy?" Marc said with mock concern. He was clearly enjoying every minute of this as much as he enjoyed causing Horatio pain. "You look a little bent out of shape…" Oh, how he loved saying that. He laughed harder. Talk about adding insult to injury…

"Let…go…of me…" Horatio huffed, apparently out of breath. He could feel his shoulder shake uncontrollably under the painful pressure. This had to stop. He couldn't take the pain anymore. His SHOULDER couldn't take it anymore.

Without even hesitating, Marc pulled the arm and pushed the shoulder with one swift motion. A sickening snap echoed through the house. Horatio screamed in pain as the joint of his shoulder got dislocated and separated at the socket.

As much as he wanted to shut his mouth, he couldn't. He felt too much pain to even care. His right hand gripped his dislocated shoulder, putting pressure, hoping to numb the pain. He gritted his teeth to stop himself from yelling again. He didn't want to give the old man a lot more satisfaction than he had already given him. His eyes were now watery, blurring his vision. He controlled—TRIED to control his breathing and catching his breath. He was writhing in pain as his father placed his foot purposefully on his injured shoulder. Horatio groaned even more.

Marc stood there, marveling the damage that he had done. Horatio's screams of pain were like music to his ears. He watched as the younger struggled to get to his feet. Only taking a few steps backward, Horatio staggered, still clutching his left shoulder.

Marc kept eyeing the bandage Horatio was wearing. "The blonde girl helped you, didn't she?"

Horatio didn't answer and he couldn't care less, all that could be heard was his heavy breathing. He didn't want Calleigh to get more involved in this. Letting her clean his wound was a big mistake. He shouldn't have let her do it.

Annoyed that Horatio didn't answer him, Marc yanked the bandage off forcefully, saying, "You don't need this, now, do you?"

After exposing Horatio's head wound, Marc placed his hand on his son's injured shoulder and grasped it tightly, feeling the loose joint rub against the empty socket. He heard him gasp and said fleeringly, "Did that hurt, boy?"

With utter satisfaction all over his face, Marc thought of another grisly idea. He grabbed Horatio's shirt and yanked him closer to his face so that he could see the agony he was causing. He drew him closer. He saw the fear that overwhelmed his son's face. Not being able to resist a nasty grin, Marc neared his son's ear and whispered in excitement, "Don't worry…the fun doesn't stop there…"

The older heard a whimper and his grin grew to an ugly smile, satisfied by the answer. He then dragged him across the hallway, Horatio trying to pry his father's hands off him.

Horatio didn't know where he was taking him. His vision was vague and he was more than dizzy because of the severe pain. He heard something click and tried to figure out what the sound was. It sounded like…a doorknob. Next, he heard a door being swung open. Dread shook his whole body as he swallowed the lump that formed in his throat.

"No…" Horatio whispered, shaking his head violently.

"Sweat dreams, boy," Marc laughed like the bastard that he was and still is as he shoved Horatio with full force into the closet.

"NO!!!" Horatio yelled, but everything was too late. He used what was left of his strength to stand up as quickly as he could and stop the bastard but only ended up with the door being slammed in front of his face.

Not even being a minute there, it all began to come to him again. Images came back from the depths of his mind, as vivid as they were when it happened during his childhood. Horatio was sweating profusely. He couldn't maintain his breathing and tears were coming out of his eyes. Darkness and silence, were doing there jobs, making sure that their victim was as uncomfortable and terrified as he could. This time…helped by the little space that he had.

He was already trembling, slumped against the wall with his eyes closed and his right hand, never letting it leave his injured shoulder. His childhood fear of darkness was coming back again, all those times being locked up for hours and hours in a small closet as a child really got to him…in a very bad way. He could not let that happen again. He had to fight it. The dark was meddling with his mind, making him see things…hallucinations, making him remember those god-awful things that happened to him when he was a child. All that anguish, self-loathing, melancholy, guilt and isolation he had dealt with…he had to overcome it.

He opened his eyes, "No..." he whimpered. The walls were playing hideous games, too. They were closing in on him, getting nearer and nearer with every breath he took. The walls were crushing him. It was like being in a small box, being suffocated by the darkness and insufficient space. That's where claustrophobia kicks in. He had to get out.

He got up and started pounding the door just as he let go of his injured shoulder. "Dad! DAD!" he yelled, anxious to get out. "Let me out, dad! Let me OUT!"

Horatio kept yelling but nobody answered, except the mocking silence. Either his father was ignoring him and enjoying himself or nobody was at the other side of the door. Leaving little or no hope left, he rammed his uninjured shoulder to the door. Something was wrong. The force that he exerted wasn't enough. It wasn't doing anything. It was as if the small room was sucking all his energy out of him. Several more attempts and he had none left.

He dropped heavily to the floor, out of breath. Not only did his dislocated shoulder hurt as hell but his other shoulder hurt as well. He closed his eyes tightly, as if to prevent something from pulling his eyes out of its sockets. His right hand cradled his left arm as he brought his knees a little closer to his chest, placing his head on it.

The darkness, the silence and the small space won once again, as easily as they did when he was a child. He fought desperately to push those fears away but was trounced miserably, and was put to dismay.

He couldn't think. He couldn't calm down. He had hard time breathing. He just let his demons swallow him…until his heart, thankfully, stopped beating.

Alone…

That's the only thing he was right now…

And darkness…

The only thing that welcomed him.

He had never expected any of this…

He thought it was all over…

Oh, how he thought wrong.

He knew that his past would keep haunting him…

But not like this…

Never like this…

Horatio lifted his head, his tired eyes wanting to close. All he could see was darkness. He was alone. And he could hear the silence, as loud as ever. He smiled wearily and bizarrely before placing his head back onto his knees, cradling his left arm and closing his eyes, saying, rather eerily, "Darkness…my…best friend…my comfort…"

How sick and twisted was Fate that he was the one who ended up alone…………when it was the last thing he had wished for……

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Rick: (slaps Horatio on the back) Hey, red!! (Sees Horatio gasp) Oh, I'm sorry, did that hurt?

Horatio: (groans in pain)

Calleigh: Stetler! I saw that! You did that on purpose!

Eric: Busted…

Calleigh: Horatio, are you okay?

Ryan and Eric: (in a sing-song voice) oh, Calleigh and Horatio sitting on a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-GEE!!!!

Speedle: (sighs and rolls his eyes) I'm surrounded by idiots.

Little Horatio: Hey!

Speedle: Oh, not you Little Horatio, you're cool…

Little Horatio: Well, thanks, Speed. It's nice to know someone around here appreciates me. (Looks around) Um, has anyone seen Hypergolic recently?

Calleigh: Oh, yeah, I saw her about five minutes ago. She borrowed my keys to the gun vault.

Rick: (all nervous) Y-y-you didn't give her the keys, did you?

Calleigh: Well, yeah, she seemed really nice. And she was sweet.

Rick: (turns pale as a ghost) Gulp…


	14. Unwelcome Presence

Eric: Um Stetler, why are you hiding under the desk?

Rick: It's Hypergolic, she's got a gun and she's after me! You should be protecting me from her!

Eric: But I thought you wanted people to pay attention to you. Getting

Shot would definitely get people's attention.

Rick: I don't want that sort of attention you idiot.

Eric: Idiot eh? We'll see about that. (Flips open his cell phone) Hi, Hypergolic? It's Eric. You looking for Stetler? Well I just found him.

Rick: (whimpers in background)

Hypergolic: Thanks Eric, I'm on my way.

Horatio: (Sits back in his chair and rolls his eyes) Huh, Kids. Remember folks; Little Horatio doesn't own any of us or CSI: Miami for that matter. (Lifts a hand to the cut on his forehead and winces in pain) For which I am eternally thankful.

Chapter 14: Unwelcome Presence

Horatio gazed at the floor, looking as tired as ever, as the chief shouted his lungs off because of the redhead's unexplained tardiness.

"Lieutenant," the chief said. "I have tolerated the fact that you were late yesterday but this time, I'll make no exceptions! 12:30…12:30! Day Shift starts at 8 in the morning and YOU arrive at 12:30 in the afternoon! You weren't just late, you were way past that!

"I'm sorry Chief Willard," Horatio said, wanting to doze off right then and there. "It won't happen again."

"Make sure it won't!" Chief Willard snapped, feeling like he was scolding his own son. "I have already given 2 homicide cases to Graveyard, doubling their load, and I don't want to do that again."

Horatio bowed his head as the chief went on with his lecture.

"And explain to me, Lieutenant, what have you been doing?"

"What do you mean, sir?"

Chief Willard shook his head and said, reprimanding, "Look at you! Bruised face, untidy hair, rumpled shirt…I've never seen you like this." He was now pacing and ended up with the conclusion that, "If I didn't know you better, Lieutenant, I'd say that you've been fighting, brawling with somebody. Because, apparently, I don't smell liquor of any kind, thus, concluding that you don't have a hang-over even though you look like you do!"

"It's not what you think, sir," said Horatio, trying to stand straight.

"You better hope it's not what I think, Lieutenant," the chief said, walking around his desk and sitting on his leather chair. He sighed, sounding that he was getting tired with this routine of theirs. "I'm disappointed in you, Horatio…You're the Lieutenant! The supervisor of Day Shift…set an example for God's sake!"

Horatio lifted his head, his head wound bare, and looked everywhere but the chief. He saw an extra chair, a desk, some files, folders, books, a sofa……Hmmm…a sofa. Oh, how he wanted to walk to that sofa and just cave in and sleep soundly.

"Horatio," Chief Willard said, his hands clasped together and looking intently at the redhead. "Is there something I need to know? Something you need to tell me? A problem, perhaps? Because I won't hesitate in helping you solve that problem…work-related OR personal. You know that, right?"

"Yes, sir, I know," Horatio said and saw the concern on his boss' face. He was trying his utmost best to stay awake or…rather, LOOK awake. "But…there is nothing to tell you…"

Chief Willard frowned, looking a little hurt. He wasn't only Horatio's boss, but he was his friend as well and he was worried because it was disturbing his best man's work and concentration. "Horatio…I'm only trying to help you. If there is something you need to tell me then…tell me."

"I'm sorry, sir, but there's really nothing to tell…I merely had a… an unfortunate accident," Horatio said, casually, not exposing anything that may raise questioning looks. A little voice inside his head argued, saying, 'you are SUCH a liar…tell him!!'

"Okay…" the chief heaved a sigh and stood up. "If there really is no problem, then I suggest that you evade these unfortunate accidents and start paying full attention to your work like you usually do."

"Yes, sir."

Chief Willard went around his desk and walked towards the redheaded Lieutenant. "And Horatio," he said, feeling that he couldn't stay angry at the Lieutenant. "Get some sleep, will you? You look dead on your feet."

"Yes, sir," Horatio said.

"And do something about that head wound of yours. It looks awful."

"Yes, sir," Horatio repeated, touching his cut and feeling his lump.

"Good man," Chief Willard said, smiling again. He patted Horatio on the shoulder.

Pain shot through his left shoulder like a bolt of lightning, making him wide awake. He hadn't anticipated that move. His eyes squinted and he bit his bottom lip to prevent himself from groaning out loud. 'God…it hurts…'

"I expect you at a case first thing tomorrow morning," the chief said, apparently hadn't noticed Horatio's eyes twitch.

"Yes, sir," Horatio managed to say. He nodded and turned around, reaching for the door, using his RIGHT hand.

…………………………………………………………………………………

A silent creak and a dim ray of light flitted through the small opening between the blind-filtered glass doors leading to his darkened office. Standing in front of half-opened doors, he proceeded inwards, closing it with a resilient click that followed his wake.

He paused for a second or two then walked indifferently around his desk and bent forward. Opening a drawer, he took some files out, which at the bottom revealed a neatly placed suit, folded and pressed, kept in pristine condition in a Ziploc bag. He reached for it, and tossed the item carelessly onto his messy—already cluttered—desk.

He glanced around hid gloomy office, pacing, his gaze penetrating the still walls. He hadn't bothered opening the lights. Badly lit…he wanted it that way.

Placing a hand at his hip, the other, hanging limply by his side, Lieutenant Horatio Caine let out a low frustrated growl and slowly moved towards one of the office walls.

With a flourish, he unbuttoned the sleeve of his coat and shirt, using his right hand, loosening it. With the same hand, he undid his belt buckle and promptly slid the leather belt off him.

Leaning his head on the cold surface of the concrete, Horatio closed his eyes and slowly began bumping his forehead gently and rhythmically on the wall. Moments passed and he was still doing what he did, looking very tired and sleepy at the process. A minute later, he lifted his head and drew back a little, opening his eyes and revealing the determination burning in them.

Gripping the leather belt tightly, he nodded his head as he decided and bit down onto the middle of the accessory. To cast aside unwanted second thoughts, he did it quickly, letting his left shoulder collide into the hard concrete in one swift move. He bit down hard on the belt and shut his eyes hastily as a definite thud and a loud snap rebounded off the walls in his office along with muffled screams of agony.

Infinity passed as Horatio stood there, belt still embedded in his teeth and anguish still distinct on his face as hot tears trickled out of his tightly closed eyelids. An intake of breath emitted from him, sending the belt to drop to the floor with a quiet thump.

His disoriented gasps of breath were followed by beads of sweat streaming down his visage as his uninjured hand clutched at the indescribable soaring pain that was rushing through him, enveloping him, sucking him in…

Unmindful of the fact that he was already kneeling on the floor, Horatio opened his eyes, inhaling and exhaling, calming himself and waiting for the pain subside.

After a painful five minutes, he regained his composure. He stood up and straightened himself out, wiping the sweat and tears that befell his countenance.

Letting out a final exhalation, he stretched out his left arm carefully, flexing his fingers, rotating his wrist and bending his elbow, testing if he had recovered mobility. Even though he felt a dull pain, he was satisfied with the movement he had achieved.

Before moving back to his desk, he picked up his leather belt, letting it dangle between his fingers. He placed in on his desk and picked up the Ziploc bag that previously had been recklessly discarded amidst numerous case files.

Wanting a fresh change, Horatio removed his coat and was unbuttoning his shirt when an unexpected nuisance came in.

"Hora—"

IAB Agent, Sergeant Rick Stetler, abruptly stopped midway in calling out his arch nemesis' name. Although it was murky, he saw the man before him, the light from the outside helping him see. Horatio was holding his shirt, two of its buttons already opened, revealing a part of his chest and clavicle. Stetler's eyes trailed to the desk beside the redhead. H saw a leather belt and a plastic bag.

"You DO know that it's rude to just barge in someone's office like that, don't you, Rick?" Horatio said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"What are you…?" Stetler finding what words to say and looking confounded. He could've sworn that Horatio looked breathless when he entered but…why? Or was he just imagining it?

"Well, Rick," Horatio said, not letting him notice anything. "I, um…I was about to change but…seeing as you're here, I guess I'll have to—"

"Weren't you wearing that yesterday?" Rick asked, pointing.

"I'm aware of that, Rick," Horatio said, giving him a DUH look. "So, if you would kindly step out of my office and—"

"Why would YOU wear the same suit when—didn't you go home?" asked Rick, changing the subject.

"Well, I, uh…I got lost and ended up in a bar," Horatio said with a little sarcasm, making it look like he was recalling the event. "…ended up drinking a lot of Vodka too, actually…"

"You? In a bar? Drinking Vodka?" Rick said in astonishment. H He laughed at the thought. "The only time I saw you in a bar was when Tripp dragged you there, literally! And you ordered coffee!"

Horatio gave the laughing man an exasperated look, wishing that he would stop. He was enjoying himself too loudly. He didn't want his CSIs to know that he was in his office. He had a lot of trouble of not letting people see him enter and he would be damned if he let Stetler put his efforts in vain.

"What's your reason for being here, Rick?" Horatio said, making himself sound more serious.

"You know why I'm here, Horatio," Rick said, smiling and wiping a tear from his eye. He enjoyed that laugh.

Horatio heaved a sigh, thinking, 'Doesn't he EVER get tired of this?' but instead said, "Can't this wait—"

"It's been 24 hours, Horatio," Stetler said, his smile turning into a frown. "I've been waiting for 24 hours and protocol says that it's ONLY 24 hours. No more, no less."

"Even for 5 minutes?" Horatio asked, sounding like a child asking his mother for 5 more minutes of sleep before getting ready for school. "I just need to—"

"No!" Stetler said sternly, taking a few step forward and getting in front of Horatio's face. "No more 5 minutes! No more waiting!"

"Rick, I strongly advice you to get off of my face," Horatio said, glaring. He was leaning on his desk, almost sitting on it actually as he tried his best to not let his face touch Stetler's.

"Why? So you can pull one on me again?" Stetler said on the top of his voice, leaning closer so that he could see those baby blue eyes that sometimes annoyed him too much.

Horatio rolled his eyes and said, "No…because if somebody saw—"

"Horatio, are you in here? We need to talk," said a delicate voice, suddenly walking in with someone right next to her. She flicked open the lights.

Just abruptly as she walked in, Calleigh halted. Alexx didn't and bumped her, saying, "What's the matt—what the…?"

Alexx had follwed Calleigh's eyes and saw the two in a very quizzical situation. Stetler was leaning right on top of Horatio who, by the way, had opened three buttons of his shirt and looked like he was lying down on his desk, amongst all those files. The two obviously didn't know the rules of proximity. Their bodies almost touching each other and their faces were inches apart—very FEW inches—and their eyes with a heated glare, lips almost touching…

Calleigh got to her senses first. "Is this a bad time? 'Cause…"

"Honestly!" Alexx exclaimed, enraged by what she saw. "If you boys wanna go at it, get a room! Or at least a janitorial closet! What do you think this is? College?!"

Stetler, FINALLY realizing their awkward poses, hurriedly took big steps back, making it sure he and Horatio were a good five feet away from each other. "This is NOT what you think!!"

"It better be not what I think!" Alexx demanded. "What were you two doing?!"

"I just wanted to get statements from him!" Stetler reasoned quickly, in a don't-hurt-me-PLEASE! Kind of way with his hands rose to chest length and all that. "I SWEAR!!"

"Are you sure that THAT'S the only thing you wanted from H?" Calleigh said, giggling. She pointed at the leather belt which was supposed to be on its owner and the unbuttoned buttons of owner's shirt. "Seems to me that you wanted a WHOLE LOT MORE, Sergeant."

Rick's face was flooded with red, yelling, "That's not funny, Duquesne!"

As Calleigh kept giggling and Rick kept blushing—"Am not!"—Alexx was eyeing Horatio who was still on his desk. Aside from looking like a mess, the redhead looked…appalled.

"Horatio…honey," Alexx said. "You okay over there?"

Horatio turned his head and stared at her with wide eyes. He slid off his desk and came to his senses with a shake of his head. "I, um…uh…do I look…?"

"Traumatized?" Calleigh suggested, clearly having the time of her life. "Yup…very." She turned around and glanced at Stetler. "You sure you didn't do anything to my L.T.?"

"Shut it, Duquesne!" Stetler shouted, looking as red as ever. "I did NOT do anything!!"

"Okay, okay, calm down, Sergeant," Calleigh said. "Don't get your panties in a bunch."

Stetler was trembling with frustration, his nostrils were flaring and he was red all over. If this were a cartoon, steam would be coming right out of his ears and nose.

"5 minutes!" Stetler roared. "I'm giving you 5 minutes! After that, your ass is mine!"

Calleigh gaped at him, her eyes blinking. Alexx gave him a bewildered look that said 'what the hell?!' and Horatio just stared at the sergeant, part of his chest still bare.

"My ass is yours?" Horatio repeated questioningly, prevent himself from sounding disgusted. "Okay, I had NO IDEA that you sailed that way, Rick, and in 5 minutes?"

Calleigh burst out laughing and Alexx shook his head as Stetler stomped towards the door. Before he was completely out of Horatio's office he swiveled and shouted, "5 MINUTES!" Then he was gone.

After that, Alexx turned back to Horatio, looking very serious. "Now, that that creep is out," she said, crossing her arms and lifting an eyebrow, "care to explain to me what happened on my day off?"

"Umm…can this wait, ma'am? Because I…" Horatio trailed off. He looked at his desk and pointed out the extra suit he had taken out of his desk drawer.

"What?" Alexx said. "You need to change?"

Horatio nodded.

"And you want Calleigh and I to step out of your office to get some privacy?" she added.

"Yes, ma'am," Horatio said, nodding again.

"I don't mind," Calleigh said suddenly when Alexx looked at her as if asking if she wanted to go out of the office. "I don't mind that you'll change in front of us…really, I don't. Do YOU mind, Alexx?"

Alexx scoffed and said, "Honey, I won't even mind if you asked ME to take those off for you."

Horatio blushed, swallowing nervously as he inched closer to his desk, already bumping it. "Thank you, Alexx, but I would prefer doing that myself…if you two, please, just give me—"

"5 minutes! Okay!" Alexx said grumpily and turned to Calleigh. "Come on, sugar, let's give Lieutenant Caine some privacy."

"Aww…" Calleigh said, rather disappointed. "Do we have to?"

"Come on, honey, off we go." Alexx said, pushing the southern blond who wanted to see Horatio get changed. Alexx muttered something about 'already seeing everything' before the two got out of the office, closing the door that made a clicking sound.

Horatio went for the door and locked it quickly. 'There,' he thought. 'No more unexpected guests.' He shuddered a bit as he walked back to his desk again, recalling how close Rick's face was to his…and then being seen by Alexx and Calleigh in that humiliating…arrangement.

"The rules of proximity…" Horatio said as he removed his extra suit from the Ziploc bag. "…I gotta let Rick remember that."

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Horatio stepped out of his office a fresh new look and with his ginger-red hair combed neatly to its original state. He replaced his previous dark grey coat and slacks and his navy blue dress shirt for all unpretentious black. Unfortunately, his signature look lacked his signature sunglasses, thus, not completing the aspect he was best known for…Lieutenant Horatio Caine.

Climbing down the stairs, he felt a dull pain on his shoulder. He dismissed it, thinking that he'd rather have dull pain than a dislocated shoulder. Although he had dealt with his shoulder, he still needed to be cautious about its mobility and to not push it too far in any way. To do that, he opts on not using his left until it was really necessary.

From the corner if his eye, he saw not 1, not 3, but 6 heads in his direction, waiting. He groaned as he saw the three extra heads that were there. He had expected only seeing Alexx, Calleigh and Rick, but he was not taken aback by the sudden presence of Speed, Eric and Mister Wolfe…who were, by the way, grinning gleefully.

"Hey, H!" Ryan called out, waving a hand as Horatio got nearer.

Horatio couldn't help but feel rather irritated at the three smiling widely at him so he said to the other three," I suspect that one of YOU did it?"

"Oh, whatever do you mean, Lieutenant?" Speed said, with utter politeness and mischief.

"Stop it, Speed," Horatio said in a you're-not-funny kind of way. "It doesn't suit you."

Speed scowled ad looked like the old gruff-sleepy-looking-couldn't-care-less Tim Speedle again.

Horatio waited for an answer. He need not look at Rick for he would rather strangle himself than spread such…things, which left only two suspects. He gave Alexx a suspicious look.

"Don't look at me, baby," said Alexx. "Ask Calleigh."

Horatio turned his sights to Calleigh, looking like a parent waiting for his child to confess and wanting some decent answers.

"What?" Calleigh smiled, looking as innocent as ever at her boss. "Me? You think it's me?"

Horatio heaved a sigh and shook his head. 'Calleigh…' his mind said. 'First to see, first to spread.' He kept looking at the southern blond who was giggling again, unable to maintain it any longer.

"Come on, H, we're CSIs," Eric said, biting his lip to prevent himself from laughing out loud. "We could've found out sooner or later."

"Yeah, H," Ryan said, placing a hand on his boss' shoulder. "And whatever happened to 'no relationships with co-workers' bit?"

"Mister Wolfe, if you want that hand of yours to be intact and unscathed then I suggest that you remove it…now," Horatio said menacingly, eyeing Ryan's hand that was on top of his left shoulder. He felt a warm sensation spreading. The minute Ryan hurriedly removed his hand on his shoulder the quicker the warm sensation evaporated.

Even though he was quite surprised with the tone of voice Horatio used on him, Ryan thought it was still said jokingly. He glanced at Rick and said," Sorry for touching H, Sergeant. I forgot that he was already taken."

Eric and Ryan laughed crazily at the thought that the sergeant fancied the lieutenant. Alexx and Speed rolled their eyes and sighed, thinking the same thing, 'These two are idiots…' Calleigh just smiled and watched all of them cheerfully.

"There is NOTHING going between me and Horatio!!" Stetler hollered, not taking any of their stupid jokes anymore.

Eric and Ryan stopped, stared for a bit and laughed as loud as ever. The moment Stetler shouted those words, people from every corner of the floor, from across the hallway and labs, lifted their heads and gawked at them, specifically at Rick and Horatio.

"Oh, god…"

The redhead could not believe that Rick had said—no—had shouted that. He wanted to yell 'IDIOT!' and smack him hard on the head but felt that it was already too late and unnecessary due to the fact that there was really nothing he could do. He sighed, shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose. 'The people I put up with…'

"Horatio, come with me," Alexx said, setting all laughter aside. "You've got some explaining to do."

"What—"

"Horatio," Alexx warned him, her eyes as sharp as daggers. "Don't push me…and don't get me started with that head injury of yours."

Horatio lowered his gaze; He knew that Alexx would do this. He knew all along. He just wished that he could avoid a lecture from her just this once, but that wish was impossible after he thought about it. In a way, he couldn't help feeling grateful. Grateful of the fact that he had a M.E. and a friend who cared for his well-being this much…even lecturing him in front of a lot of people just to teach him a lesson about his faults.

Stetler watched Horatio keenly. He knew at once that Alexx got the upper hand on the redhead again. How does she do that, he'll never know. He saw Horatio giving in to his medical examiner. The sergeant needed to talk to him first before Woods. He wanted to ask him something he knew was important. He only had to figure out WHAT was important.

Rick Stetler gave up long ago on the statements that he wanted to get from him. Something had been bothering him non-stop since yesterday morning and he hadn't a clue what but he was determined to find out, in any means necessary. He was hungry for information and he wanted to feed his curiosity. The head injury, the too exhausted expression, the less life in the man's eyes…he wanted to know what caused it all. And the way he saw him in his own office, wearing the same suit he had worn yesterday, panting…He looked straight at the redhead's baby blue eyes. He could see pain…He could see the pained countenance even though the office was quite dim.

Before Horatio could agree, Stetler stepped in between them, facing Alexx. "Oh, no, you don't, Woods. I let him slide for two days now, I won't do that again. He's gonna go with me."

"Not until I speak to him and mend his injury," Alexx snapped, wearing a try-me look.

"Your speech can wait, Woods," Stetler growled. "And as for his injury, look at him, he's standing and he's not dizzy, he's fine. You treating him can wait." He turned to Horatio who seemed aghast by his way of talking to Alexx like that. "You…come with me."

"He's not going anywhere," Alexx growled back, gripping Horatio right arm and pulling him back. "Well, not with you anyway…"

"Yes, he is," Stetler said, taking Horatio's left sleeve and pulling him back to his side.

Alexx woods and Rick Stetler, glared at each other, the two of them, pulling the Lieutenant back and forth. Their intensity was directed towards one another, not giving up the fight. They haven't even realized that Horatio was flinching and squinting with each pull.

Calleigh, Speed, Eric and Ryan were at the sidelines watching with full attention. They watched as the IAB Sergeant and Medical Examiner pulls their boss back and forth, like two kids fighting over a stuffed toy.

"Well," Speed said. "This is the first."

"Yeah," Calleigh replied. "Playing tug-of-war usin' H really…well, it looks really—"

"Fun," Eric cut her off. "Yeah, I know."

"If it weren't this serious, I would've joined in," Ryan said, not taking his eyes off the three.

"Yeah, me too…"

The four of them sighed depressingly, watching Stetler and Alexx fight over Horatio. The argument was settled when Paula showed up and spoke to the Lieutenant about something the CSIs couldn't make out. The Lieutenant nodded and mouthed a thank you then cleared his throat.

"Alexx…Rick…if you please…?"

The IAB Sergeant and the Medical Examiner let go and both of them shot a glare at the redhead. Horatio the followed Paula to the receptionist's area where he saw a very young and happy face.

"Horatio!"

"Hey, buddy," Horatio greeted back with a warm smile.

The young boy ran towards him, hyper with excitement. Looking up, he said, "Surprised you, didn't I?"

"You sure did, Adam," Horatio said.

Adam Brylle, the 12 year-old boy who had been an immediate friend of Horatio's ever since the reported abuse he had received a month or so ago. As the Lieutenant suspected, it was the father who had been physically abusing the child. He had dealt with the parent personally and warned him that if he ever tried to harm the boy again, the father had HIM to answer to.

"So, Adam," Horatio said, looking down at the smiling child. "How's life treating you these days?"

"I should be asking YOU that question," Adam said, seeing clearly the redhead's face.

"And why is that, young man?" said Horatio, kneeling down so the 12 year-old could talk to him better.

Adam stretched his hand and ran a finger down on the Horatio's injury. He flinched. "What happened?" Adam asked.

"It's…It's nothing, Adam," Horatio said, dropping his gaze. "It's just a little wound."

"You call this little?" Adam said questioningly and without thinking, poked it.

"Ahh!" was Horatio's immediate response.

"Does it hurt?"

"Well, after you poked it like that with your finger, yeah," he replied, but jokingly so that Adam wouldn't take things too seriously. "Why did you do it?" he asked, rubbing his bruise.

"Too see if it hurt," Adam answered, examining the cut.

Horatio chuckled at the boy's unusual curiosity. Wanting to change the subject, he said, "Adam, where's your grandfather?" He couldn't see him anywhere.

"He's not here," he said then scratched his head, disheveling his light brown wavy hair.

"Oh?" Horatio said, frowning a bit. "Then, who escorted you here?"

"That would be me, Lieutenant Caine."

Horatio looked up and saw another familiar face. To his surprise, it was Adam's father. The one who was responsible for all the boy's bruises, Allan Brylle. He stood up and went face to face with the father.

"I see that you're back, Mr. Brylle," Horatio said, hands on hips, pulling back his black coat and revealing his badge, his I.D. and still empty gun holster.

"Yes," Brylle replied. "I just arrived last night."

Horatio lips curved and glanced at Adam then turned back to Allan. "Judging from this young man's bright smile, on those 3 weeks of clearing your mind, you have finally reached the verdict that what you were doing was wrong and that you've mended your ways. Am I correct, Mr. Brylle?"

"Yes, I have," Allan replied. "Self-realization and guilt really does the trick."

"I'm glad that they still do," Horatio muttered, smiling a bit. He extended has hand and said," Welcome back, Mr. Brylle."

"Thank you," Mr. Brylle, shaking the man's hand. "And you can call me Allan, Lieutenant."

"It's just Horatio, sir," Horatio said, lowering his hand.

"Horatio," Allan said, sincerity can be heard from his voice. "I don't know how to…thank you for helping a person like me. I don't know how to repay you for your patience and determination. You never gave up on us…on me…for my son."

"There's no need for that, sir," said Horatio. "Seeing little Adam happy is payment enough."

Allan Brylle nodded and placed a hand on his son's shoulders, smiling thankfully.

"Guess what dad and I did, Horatio!" said Adam, filled with hype.

"I guess that…you guys had fun," Horatio said, playing along.

"Yeah!" exclaimed Adam then looked at him dubiously. "Wait, how did you know?"

"Well…I guessed," replied Horatio, giving the curios boy a small smile.

"Wow…you're good at guessing," said Adam and thought for a bit. "Okay, guess what we did this morning?"

"Okay, um…"Horatio thought for a bit. The boy was testing him so he went along. "I guess that…you guys went to the park, you had ice cream and you ate pizza for lunch."

"How did you know?!" Adam exclaimed incredulously.

"He's a CSI, son," said Allan, smiling while he looked at his son on the brink of panicking. "He's supposed to know."

"Yeah, but…HOW?" said Adam and looked at the Lieutenant suspiciously. "Were you following us? 'Cause that's bad."

Horatio chuckled and explained to his young friend on how he knew. "Well, those blades of grass on your shoes and that grass stain on your pant leg gave me something to start with. And there's a drop of ice cream right there. I'm guessing that it's vanilla, and as for lunch? You have a hint aroma of pizza on you…pepperoni, I think."

"WHOAH!" Adam shouted, impressed. "You got all that just by looking at me?!"

"Mm-hmm," Horatio nodded. "Cool, huh?"

"Way cool!!"

Allan and Horatio laughed at the astounded boy. The conversation went on about how the father and son played ball at the park and how they ordered and ate a large pizza and mostly on how they enjoyed their time with each other. Horatio listened thoughtfully at Adam, happy that he got the father he had been waiting for and that how Allan had changed for the better.

"Horatio," someone called out.

"Yeah," said Horatio but didn't turn around to see who was it was that was calling him.

"You've got another visitor."

"Be right there, ma'am," Horatio said over his shoulder, seeing Paula. He turned to Allan and Adam, saying, "I, um…Would you gentlemen excuse me? I have another visitor."

"Sure, Horatio," said Allan.

"Yeah, we'll be sitting right there," said Adam, pointing. "I don't want to leave yet."

"Okay," Horatio said. "In that case, I'll be right back."

"No, take your time, Horatio," said Allan.

"Thank you," Horatio said and nodded then walked to the other direction. "You mentioned another visitor, ma'am?"

"Yes, Lieutenant," Paula said. "He's right over there."

Horatio followed the young officer's hand, his heart skipped a beat. There, standing by the elevator, was a red haired man with piercing blue eyes. The man looked back and gave a wide grin. 'No…' Horatio thought. '…not here.'

The Lieutenant pivoted, closing his eyes for a mere second. He hoped that he had only imagined it. He hoped that the lack of sleep and weariness was only getting to him. He saw his team coming towards him. The Cuban took one look at him and said, "You okay, H? You look like you've bled to death."

"Wow, that made him feel a whole lot better," Speed said sarcastically.

"Yeah, H," said Calleigh as if she hadn't heard Speed. "You're as pale as a ghost. Everythin' alright?"

"I-I'm fine," Horatio said, his voice slightly trembling but went unnoticed. Without thinking, he rubbed his wrist nervously, his back still turned to the man he had hoped wasn't there.

"Horatio, are you sure you're okay? Because—"

"I'm fine," Horatio repeated quickly. He wanted the anxiety to go away.

Without warning, a hand seized Horatio's neck and pulled him in, bumping next to someone. Horatio gone rigid, frozen to the core, as the hand tightened its grip harder. The man who was now beside him, said, "Hey, boy, I thought you didn't see me back there."

"Excuse me, sir?"

Marc Anthony Caine released his hold on Horatio's neck and extended his right hand introducing himself as, "Samuel Caine, ma'am, pleasure to meet you."

"I, um…"Calleigh said, shaking the man's hand, not quite sure on how to react. "I'm CSI Calleigh Duquesne…nice to…meet you, too." She didn't know what else to say so she introduced the rest of the team. "This is CSI Eric Delko, CSI Ryan Wolfe, CSI Tim Speedle and Medical Examiner, Doctor Alexx Woods."

"Hey," were most of the team's response, showing little enthusiasm and looking more skeptical than ever.

Alexx merely nodded and kept a close eye on 'Samuel Caine' and as well as Horatio Caine. She felt something unusual and she didn't like it. She noticed Horatio acting differently these past couple of days but she didn't know why…yet. 'Something's not right here,' she thought. 'And I think it's got something to do with our new friend.'

"Nice to meet all of you," 'Uncle Samuel' said, smiling and looking around. "I've wanted to come here for over a year and…I finally did!"

"Um, sir?" Calleigh said, her curiosity overpowering her. "Are you Horatio's…father?" she said, turning to Horatio and giving him a is-this-your-father? look. The man had red hair like Horatio and his eyes are blue too and there's a slight resemblance to the face.

Horatio's mouth went dry and he stammered. He was looking at the faces of his CSIs and then at Alexx, who was giving him a perplexed-mixed-with-alarm look. She was the only one in the team who knew that his father was already dead…and that his name wasn't Samuel.

"No," 'Samuel' answered for him. "I'm his uncle. Uncle Samuel. I just wanted to surprise my nephew here," he said, placing back the hand from the spot he previously vacated. Down Horatio's neck, 'Samuel' gripped it tight and started massaging it roughly, knowing all too well that his 'nephew' had a large dark bruise on it, the one that he had received when he used the gun to strike him down. Horatio bit his lip to refrain himself from groaning.

"Well, it's really nice seeing one of Horatio's relatives," Calleigh said, smiling brightly.

"Yeah, we almost know nothing about his family…"

On the far corner of the hallway, Adam decided to get himself some water. He turned to the man sitting next to him. "Dad, I'll be at the water dispenser. My throat is kinda dry."

"Sure, son," Allan said. "Want me to come with you?"

"No, I'll be fine by myself."

"Okay," said Allan. "Then I'll be waiting right here. Don't go wandering around."

"I won't," Adam said, getting up and running towards the water dispenser. He passed a man who was standing next to it, holding a Styrofoam cup…grumbling. Adam tried to reach for one of the cups and the stranger took one and handed it to him.

"Thank you, mister," Adam said, taking the cup.

The man muttered a "you're welcome" and continued on what he was doing…brooding. He looked so sad and angry and Adam couldn't help but watch him keenly, even while he was taking his drink. Adam, being the inquiring boy that he is, asked, "Why are you doing that?"

The man looked down, saying with slight irritation, "Doing what?"

"That thing that you do," the boy said.

"What thing?"

"You know, standing there and talking to yourself," Adam said without hesitation.

"Oh…" The man turned around and drank from his cup, ignoring the boy.

Adam followed the man's gaze and saw Horatio, his friends and another guy next to him, also with red hair. His eyes narrowed as he watched the man grope Horatio down the neck. It looked like he was kneading him but judging from Horatio's clenched jaw and balled quivering fist, he wasn't enjoying it one bit.

"Horatio doesn't like that man," Adam said without thinking, still watching them from a distance.

That caught the man's attention. He turned around and looked at the boy directly, a question distinct on his visage. He had been watching them from the very beginning and hadn't notice anything out of the ordinary, and then this boy comes up, looks for a second and says that Horatio doesn't like the guy. The GUY who introduced himself as Horatio's uncle.

"Why would you say that?" the man finally asked.

"I don't know," Adam shrugged. "Look."

The brunette did as he was told. He watched, more circumspectly now, as the two red heads moved. He could see the uncle rubbing down Horatio in a way while he talked to the CSIs. He didn't see anything wrong so he diverted his attention to Horatio. He could see beads of sweat glistening on his forehead…now that raised an eyebrow. The MDPD was a fully air conditioned facility so why would he be sweating? And he noticed another thing. Horatio was biting his lower lip. He looked like he was overcoming something…

"You have a good eye, kid," the man said.

"My name is not 'kid', mister," the boy said. "It's Adam."

"Well, my name is not 'mister', Adam," the man retorted. "It's Rick…Rick Stetler."

Adam looked at him with his curious eyes and said, "Are you and Horatio friends? Because you seem like you're worried."

"Me? And Horatio? Friends?" Rick sneered at the thought and he couldn't help laughing a little. He saw the boy tilting his head as if saying the he didn't get it. He smiled and said, "Yes, Adam. We're friends…in a way."

Adam smiled thoughtfully, saying, "Well, it was nice talking to you, Rick."

Rick nodded and smiled a little, watching the boy go back from when he came. A questioning kept nagging at him and he couldn't resist anymore.

"Adam," he called out.

"What?" said the boy as he halted to a stop and swiveled around.

"Tell me, honestly," Rick said, lowering his voice and half-bending his knees. "What made you say that Horatio doesn't like that man?"

"It's a feeling…I just know." Adam saw the man's confused look and elaborated. "That's how I looked like when I was afraid of my dad…like he was going to hurt me again. But, last night, he promised me he wouldn't so…I'm not afraid anymore."

Adam saw Rick nod, finally understanding. He ran back to his father who said, "You made a new friend, son?"

"Yup!" said Adam. "He's a friend of Horatio's too."

Rick now stood there, alone, next to the rumbling of the water dispenser, contemplating. The last words he heard from Adam echoed in his mind, like it was trying to say something. "Afraid of my dad……like he was going to hurt me again…" Now, how does that apply to the lieutenant? He knew for a fact that Horatio's father was already dead and that was a long, long time ago. So what would be the problem? And who was causing it?

The agent heaved a loud sigh and scratched his head, irritated that he couldn't figure out what was going on with the red-haired lieutenant. He drank some more water and threw the empty Styrofoam cup into the trash bin, then resumed studying the two redheads from afar.

"Well, it's nice meeting all of you," the 'uncle' said. "But it's time for us to go."

"Go?" said Calleigh.

"Yeah, I want to spend time and go bond with my nephew, isn't that right, boy?" he said, swatting Horatio's back with great force but making it look like a friendly gesture of affection. The younger's eyes squinted as he could feel the welts on his back being pounded. He prevented a moan.

Horatio knew that if they left know, he'll be alone with his insane father again. So, he swallowed the pain, opened his mouth and said, "I can't come with you."

"Why the hell not?!" the older man shot back.

The CSIs were taken aback by the immediate answer and by the tone the 'uncle' used, but Horatio ignored them and continued, saying, "Because my shift is not over and I have paper work to finish."

"But you can do that tomorrow," said 'Uncle Samuel', hiding his anger.

"I have no choice," Horatio said, preventing himself from looking directly at his father's eyes.

"Nonsense, Horatio," said Calleigh, waving a hand as if dismissing what he said. "You can come with your uncle. I think it's good that you two should spend time together."

'You don't know what you're saying, Calleigh,' Horatio's mind shouted. 'Seriously, you have no idea.'

"I think that's a great idea," agreed Ryan.

'You're agreeing on giving me pain, Mister Wolfe,' Horatio thought, his heart beat racing. 'Or getting me killed…either way, I don't like it.'

"H, we insist," said Eric, joining in. "You can go."

'You're insisting on having me killed?!' Horatio's mind screamed. 'Well, that's just wonderful, Eric. Remind me to haunt you when I'm dead.'

"Now, that that's settled," the 'uncle' said, putting an arm around Horatio's neck. "We better get going."

Eric, Ryan and Calleigh said their good-byes and waved as Horatio and his 'Uncle Samuel' walked away together. With an arm around Horatio, he pulled him in and growled to his ear," You're going to regret doing that…" Horatio swallowed and a bead of sweat ran down his face, continuing forward, all kids of thoughts pouring out of his head about what would his demented father do to him next.

Alexx and Speed were quiet all throughout the conversation, not reacting, not talking, just watching. The two of them exchanged doubtful glances and watched as the two redheads enter the elevator and disappear.

"You thinking what I'm thinking, Timmy?" Alexx said.

"Hell, yeah," Speed said in his low lazy-like voice. "But I'm not all that sure."

"Me either," said Alexx. "Let's just hope that we're both wrong."

"Yeah…let's…"

……………………………………………

"You just couldn't shut your mouth, could you?" Marc snarled as Horatio crashed to the floor again with a loud thud after he received another knee to his mid-section.

"You just HAD to spoil my fun!" Marc shouted and kicked his son's ribs without holding anything back.

Horatio's eyes were already watery as he gasped for air, filling his lungs with much needed oxygen. He knew this was coming and he didn't do anything to prevent it. He wanted this to get over and done with as early and as less painful as possible. He looked at his father and saw the fiery hate that resided in his eyes. He see could himself in him, looking down, breathing heavily, anger and hatred rushing through every vein in his body, all of it, wanted to get out.

"You ready to fight, boy?" Marc provoked. He grabbed Horatio by the shirt and yanked him up. He made sure that his face was leveled to his, blue eyes to blue. "You're looking at me, boy, at my eyes. Does that mean you're gonna fight back? Huh, Horatio? You think you're a big man, don't you? Do I need to beat some sense of respect into you again? Say yes, boy, and I swear I will."

Horatio quickly dropped his gaze instantly as he heard him say that. He had been told that same line countless times before, when he was a boy and still in his adolescent life. To his father, respect was everything. It was the key to everything. Look at someone's eyes without permission and he'd sure as hell slap the breath out of you, especially if he was the one you're looking at. Hearing those familiar words, he need not to be told twice.

"No, sir, I wasn't—"

"Yes, you were, boy. You gave me disrespect. You think you can take me? Can you?!" Marc said, outraged. He shook Horatio violently, wanting him wanting him to answer. Nothing came, which obviously pissed him off. He punched him in the stomach and back-handed Horatio with full force, sending his son crashing down the glass table which produced a loud shattering noise, shards flying everywhere.

Horatio heard something. He tried to reply but he couldn't. He couldn't even breathe. With the feeling of tremendous pain and a sense of gratitude, he passed out.

…………………………………………..

Rick: (Hides behind Little Horatio) Help me. She's insane.

Hypergolic: (flips the safety catch off and cocks her gun)

Little Horatio: (looks over at Hypergolic and nods) Yes, she probably is.

Rick: So you're just going to let her shoot me?

Little Horatio: Well, you have been incredibly irritating lately. Plus

You've been rather unpleasant to Horatio while he's going through a tough time in the story.

Rick: But! But! Shoot me?! Really?! I mean, come on!

Little Horatio: Sorry, Rick. (Steps to one side so Hypergolic has a clear shot)

Hypergolic: (evil glint in her eye) you're mine Stetler.

Rick: (sobs) please don't.

Hypergolic: (squeezes the trigger and water squirts out of the gun barrel into Rick's face) Ha! Ha! Got you!

Rick: (wipes his face with his hand) A WATER PISTOL?? You've gotta be kidding me!!

Hypergolic: What, you thought I was actually going to shoot you? I wouldn't shoot you Rick; I might get blood on my shirt. (Ryan, Calleigh and Horatio peek around the door laughing.)

Calleigh: That was funny, popcorn anyone?

Ryan: (turns to Calleigh) where'd you get popcorn?

Calleigh: (Shrugs) I asked Little Horatio to write some into the disclaimer for me.

Little Horatio: (interrupts Ryan before he can speak) No Ryan, you cannot have a Porsche written into the story.

Ryan: Huh. (Mumbles) Not fair.


	15. Shattered Perception

Little Horatio: Finally! I have finished typing this chapter!

Ryan: Aww…don't worry, you still have a lot of chapters to go.

Little Horatio: (glares) if it weren't for the fans, I'd mangle you, no, let me rephrase that…I'll have you castrated!

Eric: Ew…

Ryan: You can't do that! You don't own me or any of us!

Little Horatio: (evil smirk) I know…just don't forget…I'm the writer. I can write anything that pleases me and my readers so be careful with what you say.

Horatio: (whispers to Ryan) Trust me, Mister Wolfe, shut your mouth. I didn't even do anything to her and look what she'd done to me!

Little Horatio: (oblivious) Did you say something, Horatio?

Horatio: (clears throat) Me? I was just saying that…(thinks)…you can do it and I believe in you. I know you're patient and…you will finish this as soon as possible (please!).

Little Horatio: Why thank you, Horatio! That's so sweet of you…(still oblivious)

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Chapter 15: Shattered Perception

He raised a hand to block the rays of the rising sun. It was 6:45 in the morning and although it was sure to be a hot day, the cool breeze sent slight shivers down their spines. As the sun continued its way up, rising over Miami, he could feel his face tingle as its rays spilled on his face. He heaved an irritated sigh for having his sunglasses smashed but just forgot about it and proceeded to what was important…the crime scene.

Going under the yellow crime scene tape, Lieutenant Horatio Caine walked with a labored movement. He was doing his best to not let anyone notice and, from the looks of it, they didn't, which was a great relief to say the least. He stifled a yawn.

Waking up 4:30 in the morning was never on his to-do list and neither was falling asleep on a bed of broken glass. And as for the wakeup call? He didn't even wanna think about it. Pain spread like wildfire on his back and the burning feeling just kept on going.

He rolled off his back with a loud grunt and let out a gasp as small pieces of glass pierced through his sleeves and into his forearm and elbows, with which he was supporting himself. "Great," he muttered, "…just peachy."

Pieces of shattered glass were everywhere so he had to be careful. Cautiously, he staggered standing up and brushed amounts of glass off him. He saw a spot where the glass did not get to and got ready. He flexed his shoulders and felt a number of stings emerge from his back. He knew that shards had penetrated his back and he was eager to get them out…somehow. He exhaled.

He leapt across the pile of glass and landed first on one foot and instantly found himself lying flat on the floor again. A loud and painful "Ahh!" escaped his mouth. He hastily went into a sitting position and looked for the cause of his new found pain.

There it was, glistening like it was calling him. A shard of glass had itself lodged in between his heel and it look awfully long and sharp. 'Now, how did that go through my shoe?' he thought, annoyance filling his mind. He looked at his foot, examining it further. It hadn't gone through his shoe; it more or less found its mark evading it. He slipped his left shoe off and took a closer look. The shard cut into his sock and into his flesh. He carefully removed his sock and continued with his examination. There wasn't any heavy bleeding, only a trickle of blood made its way out. The head of the shard was poking out and he reached for it. Slowly, with alertness and prudence, he pulled it out through gritted teeth. He let out a breath, exhausted, and laid back down onto the floor, catching his breath.

"Now I know what Achilles felt about his heel," he mumbled, staring at the sharp glass that he had taken out.

"Morning, H," Eric said aloud, walking side by side with Ryan.

"Morning, Eric, Mister Wolfe," Horatio greeted back, his eyes partly opened,

"Morning, H," Ryan said, "I see that you're bright and early today."

"And what I see, Mister Wolfe, is that we have a crime scene," he said, feeling the refreshing cold breeze that made his ginger red hair dance with the wind. "Already processed?"

"Yup."

"And?" Horatio said, placing hands on hips.

"It was a break-in," started Delko, removing his gloves. "Our guy, armed, broke into the house and took all the valuables from one Amara Kent. There was a bit of blood but nothing serious. Luckily, Amara knew how to swing a baseball bat properly."

"Yeah, knocked our perp's teeth out," Ryan said, holding up a small plastic evidence bag containing two yellowish teeth covered with a bit of blood. "Unfortunate, though, that our number one wasn't knocked out. Could've made things a whole lot easier."

"Come on, Wolfe," Eric said, looking at him jokingly. "That wouldn't be challenging. Where's your sense of fun?"

"At home…sleeping," Ryan answered back, putting back the evidence. "Just to let you know, Delko, not all people pick fun over sleep."

"Just to let you know, Wolfe," Eric said with a grin. "You're the only one I know who chooses sleep over fun."

"I choose sleep over fun because IT IS fun," Ryan defended himself.

"How can sleep be fun?"

Ryan rolled his eyes but before he could say anything, Horatio cut him off, saying while looking around, "Gentlemen, I don't see our bullet girl, care to explain?"

"Oh yeah," Ryan remembered. "The perp didn't fire any shots and was even stupid enough to leave his firearm behind. We found the weapon in the living room."

"How about Francis?"

"Oh, didn't he tell you?" Ryan said, "Tripp went to Texas, visiting his sick sister he said."

Horatio nodded and spotted someone that made his eyes narrow. "May I ask why and what is our beloved IAB Sergeant doing here?" he said, eyeing Rick Stetler.

"Stetler said he was only watching, keeping things in check," Eric said, he, too, eyeing the sergeant. "Don't know why you'd waste the time though."

"Doesn't he have better things to do?" Ryan complained. "Except for snooping around?"

"Don't worry, Mister Wolfe," said Horatio. "We'll know, eventually."

Eric saw Ryan shrug and watched their lieutenant walk—'waiit...' he thought, 'was H limping?' His eyes furrowed as he watched closer. Horatio walked fine. 'Nope,' he thought, 'limping? No. Me imagining things? Yes.'

Ryan saw Eric eyes hovering all over Horatio as the lieutenant headed to the paramedics van. "I can't believe you, Delko!"

"W-what?" Eric said, taking his gaze off their boss.

"You were checking out H's ass!" Ryan grinned broadly.

"Was not!" Eric retorted in a snap. "I told you, Wolfe, keep your sick fantasies to yourself!"

"So, THAT'S Delko-time…"

"WOLFE!!"

"I'm gonna tell Sergeant Stetler on you!"

"Not funny, Wolfe," Eric bawled.

"Well, not to YOU maybe…"

Horatio shook his head while heading towards the paramedics. He heard his two CSIs bicker again about something and he was grateful that he didn't know what…because he was sure that it was something unbearably stupid again.

"Miss Kent?" Horatio said as he got to the back of the paramedics' van. "Amara?"

The young woman lifted her head, a light scrape visible on her left cheek. She had puffy eyes and untidy brown hair. She stared at the man with ginger-red hair and calming blue eyes before saying, "Yes?"

"Amara," Horatio said, tilting his head, giving her a gentle smile. "I'm Lieutenant Horatio Caine and I just wanted to make sure that you're alright."

"Well…I've got a small scratch but other than that everything's fine and dandy…except for my things though."

Horatio simply smiled and let her continue.

"I mean, don't get me wrong," she said, wrapping her arms around her body. "I'm grateful that I didn't get killed but…it's just hard to believe that all I've worked for just—POOF!—gone…"

"Don't worry, ma'am," Horatio said, standing sideways. "We'll get whoever did this…thanks to you; we've got a lot of evidence. We'll get him before you know it."

Amara smiled at him and said, "Thank you…"

Horatio plainly nodded and smiled, happy that he had helped Amara lighten up her spirit.

Amara chuckled, saying, "You know, I never imagined using my batting lessons to whack a guy's face."

"We can never expect what's to come," Horatio mumbled, almost to himself as he lifted his gaze and watch the sky. He knew how true that was and softly let out a sigh. By the time he brought his eyes on Amara again, he saw her shiver and took off his jacket, exposing his white dress shirt entirely.

"Here you go, sweetheart," he said, as he placed his jacket over her shoulders.

"Thanks," she said, snuggling in the redhead's shirt. She looked over his shoulder and said, "There's your friend."

"Hmm?" Horatio turned around and saw a smiling Eric Delko. "Oh, hey…"

"Hey, H," Eric greeted back. "Hey, Amara, how're you dealing?"

"Good," she smiled. "I mean, it's not everyday I get to bat someone's teeth out."

"Yeah, you've got some swing there," Eric said. "Remind me to not get to your bad side."

"You better watch out," she joked, making herself comfortable in Horatio's black jacket. "Can I ask a favor?"

"Sure."

"Can I have the guy's teeth? As a souvenir?" she asked. "After you've caught him, I mean."

"I don't know, Amara," laughed Eric. "You have to get permission from the boss here." He turned around and saw the Lieutenant watching the IAB Sergeant who was looking back. They were only a few feet from each other. Another minute and Stetler resumed his observing.

"Are you…bleeding?"

"W-what?" Eric said, shaking his head, looking back at Amara. "Am I what?"

"Not you, him," she said, pointing at Horatio who was still occupied in supervising the crime scene.

There were several red dots on Horatio's lower shirt, by the side, clearly noticeable from all the white. They were small, but the scarlet stuck out like a sore thumb. Eric had to ask.

"Is that blood, H?" the CSI asked.

"Hmm?" Horatio said, not quite hearing the question. "You said something, Eric?"

"I—are you okay?" Eric changed the question.

"How do you mean?" Horatio asked, his voice filling with dread. Had Delko noticed him limping?

"H, you're bleeding," Eric said and pointed at the location of the scarlet that seemed to be getting a little bit bigger. "There."

'Damn it,' his mind said. He thought he'd stopped the bleeding. 'Way to go, Horatio. You could've picked any shirt you wanted but NO, you had to pick the white one. Just take your shirt off and expose yourself now, why don't you?' a voice in his head said sarcastically, lecturing him. 'You're surrounded by CSIs, you know, they're not idiots. That's why you hired them, because they're THAT damn good.'

Horatio had to fight off the annoying voice that kept giving him unhelpful rejoinders. He looked past Delko and got a glimpse of Rick, continuing his routine nearby. A glint caught his attention and he saw Mister Wolfe, who was accompanied by Tim Speedle.

"Speed…"

Eric swiveled and saw Speed and Ryan. He raised a hand and mouthed "one sec" and turned to Amara. "Uh, Amara, H and I need to talk to—"

"Oh sure, go ahead."

"Thanks."

The four of them went to Hummer H2 and decided to have their conversation there. Eric started by saying, "What brings my wingman here?"

"Well, it's not your good looks, that's for sure," Speed said with more than a hint of sarcasm. "In all seriousness, I just came here to say good bye to you guys."

"You're leaving already?" Eric blurted out. "I thought you still had one night here in Miami."

"Miami International called me," said Speed, unfazed. "Informed me about the change in schedule. I didn't want to ruin our little clubbing last night so I left it for later. I forgot to tell you guys, for some reason—(the booze, maybe)—my flight's in less than two hours so I got packed and my bags are waiting."

"Aren't you gonna say good-bye to Alexx and Calleigh?" Eric asked, obviously not wanting his wingman and best friend to leave this early.

"Already did," said Speed, inserting his hands in his pockets. "I dropped by at MDPD crime lab; they said the rest of you were here so…here I am."

"Well, it was fun hanging out with you," Ryan said, extending a hand.

"Yeah, you too," Speed said and shook his hand. He turned to Eric who was all quiet. "You're not gonna cry, are you?"

"Shut up, Speed," Eric snapped and gave the shorter man a tight hug good-bye. "You're gonna visit again, right?"

"Yeah," Speed replied. "After two years at the least…if Mac gets lenient."

"It was nice having you, Speed," Horatio said.

"Please," Speed rolled his eyes and pulled the Lieutenant in an embrace, taking the redhead by surprise. Horatio bit his lip as Speed patted his back. He released him, saying," You should eat more, H, you're getting scrawny."

Horatio managed to chuckle at that statement which made Tim smile a bit but for only a millisecond or two. "Coming from the man who was taught by Alexx, right, Chef Speed?"

"Shhhhh."

It was a known fact in MDPD that Tim "Speed" Speedle cooked with perfection. He could cook something out of nothing which was incredible. The only thing he lacked though was grace and style but he could make the best dishes if he wanted to and it was all thanks to one Alexx Woods, adding a little more spice in the cynical CSI's life.

"And you should be more careful. You look all beat up."

"Yeah," Horatio said, running a finger through his bruised temple.

"I better go," said Speed. "Before the plane decides to leave without me."

"Then wait 10 more minutes."

"Shut up, Delko…"

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Horatio had been sitting behind his desk with his head hanging from his drooped shoulders. He was having an argument with his mind again and he was losing the battle completely…again.

"Please," Horatio muttered, his eyes closed. "Just…keep quiet for 5 minutes."

'No, YOU keep quiet,' the voice in his head demanded. 'Because of your little stunt, they would've surrounded you by now and started asking questions.'

"But they're not—"

"Yeah! Thanks to Speed!"

"Look, I've already got my jacket back and I'm wearing it, okay?" Horatio murmured, getting sick of this lecture. "Nobody is gonna see anymore."

'How can you be so sure?' the voice questioned. 'If the blood went through your shirt, how can you be sure that it won't get through your jacket?'

"I just know, okay? So, shush…"

'You really are as stubborn as they say.'

"Likewise, I'm sure," Horatio shot back.

No snide retort came and Horatio was all-too glad. He was alone again…as he should be. He closed his eyes and shuddered as a cold feeling trickled down his spine. He had a gut feeling that something bad was about to happen…which made him feel worse.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

At Miami International…

It was 10 minutes before boarding time and he had nothing to do but sit down and wait. A second passed by and Timothy Speedle was already bored as hell. He looked at his watch and muttered, "9 minutes and 50 seconds…" That felt like an eternity to him with nothing to do. He had to occupy himself with something. He glanced around.

He saw an orange sweatshirt, an orange baseball cap, a guy wearing sunglasses—now why would you wear sunglasses inside an airport?—a little boy carrying a blue back-pack, a guy in an expensive looking suit…Damnit. He had tried hard to think of something else but only one thing was occupying his mind right now and it was Horatio Caine.

The Lieutenant had been acting oddly when he came. Hell, the redhead even looked differently. That cut above his eye and that bruise on his temple, the almost dead-like too-tired-to-even-breath look…and whatever happened to his sunglasses? When he was still part of the Miami CSI team, he'd always seen H take those glasses of his on and off, so what happened?

And he remembered Horatio's Uncle Samuel, on how the old man talked harshly to his nephew. There was something about him that he didn't trust and he seems to know something about what's been happening to H lately. He had the sudden urge to ask him a few questions, but knew that it was impossible. He looked at his watch again and it was less than 5 minutes left before they boarded the flight back to New York.

"I can't just sit on my ass here," Speed muttered bitterly, standing up. His mind was stirring. His curiosity as a CSI was overwhelming him and in a few minutes, he was about to leave Miami and go back to New York. He took out his cell phone and flicked it open, deciding he'd talk to Mac before boarding.

Finally, the ringing stopped and the other end picked up.

"_Detective Taylor."_

"Mac, it's me, Speed."

"_Hey, Tim, glad you called. I was about to—"_

"You gotta hurry, Mac. I'm leaving Miami in 2 minutes and 18 seconds tops."

"_What? I thought you had 20 more hours to spend there."_

"Change of schedule, Mac. Look, man, I need a favor. Can I stay—"

"_The favor can wait, Tim. We have a problem."_

"A problem?"

"_Yes, Tim, a problem. What I need you to do is—"_

"What?!" Speed shouted, the intercom made it hard for him to make out what Mac was saying. "Hey, Mac!"

All throughout the building (airport), the voice of a woman echoed, repeating, "All those who are heading to New York from Miami, please board now."

"Mac," Speed shouted at his cell. "I can't hear you!"

"—_don't leave Miami. Tim, I want you to stay in Miami!"_

"What? Why?"

"_2 case files were stolen a few days ago. We just found out now. It's over two decades ago—in the unsolved. We think it's in Miami, along with the person who stole it."_

"Miami? Why Miami? I gotta get full details, Mac."

"_The case files were about the death of Katherine Ann Duncan…and Marc Anthony Caine."_

"What?!" Speed exclaimed, almost dropping his cell phone.

"_Yes, Tim…Lieutenant Horatio Caine's parents."_

"You have GOT to be kidding me!"

"_I wish I was, Tim. Now, what I need you to do is to go to MDPD crime lab and find Horatio. Don't tell him anything yet, just go find him."_

Just then, a picture crossed his mind and muttered, "I think I know who took it…"

"_Hey, you got me, Tim?"_

"Got it and on it, Mac," Speed responded and hastily closed his phone and picked up his bags.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sergeant Rick Stetler stepped out the elevator, carrying an evidence box, a fiery glint evident in his eyes. As if on cue, a dozen police officers came into view and surrounded the sergeant, halting him in his tracks. He looked at all of them, sending provoking glares at each and every one.

"Officers, I hope you are ready to perform the task that has been assigned to all of you today," said Stetler, large and in charge.

"Yes, Sergeant," was their response.

"Then let's go," Stetler said, in front of the ranks, leading them all the way.

Eric Delko and Ryan Wolfe saw them from one of the labs and dashed out quickly, their faces in utter perplexity. Eric veered to Ryan and said urgently, "I know what they're gonna do. Go find Calleigh and Alexx."

"Got it," Ryan replied and sprinted to the ballistics lab.

Eric stomped forward, facing Stetler's army, his face filled with outrage. "Stetler, what the hell are you up to?"

"It's none of your business, Delko," Stetler said, setting the Cuban straight.

"You know damn well it's my business, Stetler," Eric said fiercely.

Like before, the whole floor held its breath, odd stares and the unmoving silence filling the entire crime lab, all eyes on the bunch of people at the middle of the commotion.

"Then if it's your business as well, Delko, you should've acted the minute you saw it," said Stetler.

"I—"realization had hit him too fast. He remembered when they were at the crime scene.

Stetler saw as the CSI got the hint and smirk. "So, CSI Delko, if you don't mind, get out of our way or I'll make you," he said with the significance of his professionalism.

"Like hell you can!" Eric responded.

"Oh, trust me, Delko, I can but unfortunately…they will." Like obedient dogs, with a cock of Stetler's head, two officers steeped forward and apprehended the struggling CSI, shoving him aside. Delko tried to fight but found it awfully hard at the moment because they pinned him to the wall, making it difficult to even move.

"Jason!"

"Sorry, Delko," said one of the officers who was restraining him. "I know you helped me last time but I can't do the same for you."

Delko glared at him and thought, 'That's the last time I help your ass.' He couldn't believe it. He helped him with Stetler the other day and this is how he repays him?

"When I get my hands on you, Jason, I'll—"Eric swore.

"Well, unfortunately, I got my hands on you so shut up," Jason said, annoyed, pushing him further.

"Now that THAT'S out of the way," Stetler said. "Let's go."

Stetler and his small army of police officers, now lacking two, marched forward. The Sergeant lowered his head for a moment and grinned. He finally figured it out and he was going to confront Horatio and make him fess up, up close and personal, including brute force if necessary.

"You always couldn't keep anything from me, Horatio," he muttered. "Since the first we met…you couldn't."

"Stop right there, Stetler."

"Make me, Wolfe," he said, his eyes glaring with provocation. He raised a hand and, as before, two officers stepped forward, doing to Ryan what had been done to Eric. "I suggest that you get out of our way, Duquesne."

"And what the hell makes you think I'll do that?" Calleigh snapped, standing between them and the staircase leading to her boss' office. "Stetler, if you've got something stupid up your sleeve, leave Horatio out of it. He's exhausted enough as it is—"

"And why do you think that?" Stetler questioned. "There hasn't been any complicated cases lately, so why does he look like he's going to pass out any second every time you get a glimpse of him? Can you answer that?"

Calleigh was obviously struck by the question thrown at her. She had been wondering about that ever since they solved the case and rescued Cathy Lynn. Three days had passed and she still had no answer for her boss' tardiness, out-of-line fatigue and the fact that he spends most of his time in his office when he barely does so. And that wound on his temple…she hadn't fully believed him when he said that it was an accident. It was possible, but with a man as careful as Horatio, you'd think otherwise too. The wound was consistent with his story but there had to be a lot of force to make his temple split open like that. And there was this pained expression on his face. Sure, it was normal to see him like that but his eyes told so much more; it wasn't only in the inside but on the outside as well.

Stetler smirked, saying, "Now are you ready to get out of our way?"

"Screw you," she growled.

Rick Stetler rolled his eyes and sighed, "Officers…"

For the third time, two officers did as instructed, grabbing Calleigh by the arm and put up a great fight but became overpowered. She caught a glimpse of Alexx arriving but only watched as the IAB agent climbed the stairs. The chief medical examiner didn't do anything but let Stetler proceed. Their eyes met but no words were exchanged.

Horatio lifted his head as he heard a soft knock from the door. He groaned as he got up and limped forward. He let out a breath and opened it.

"Rick?"

"I'm here to give you back your gun," Rick said, answering the redhead's inquiring look as he entered his office.

Horatio lifted an eyebrow, watching as the sergeant opened an evidence box he was carrying and revealed the Gloc he had taken for processing a few days ago.

"Your gun has been cleared," Rick said and held out the gun.

"Thank you."

Horatio extended his hand to get his gun. He wrapped his fingers on his firearm and frowned. H looked at Stetler incredulously. The sergeant wasn't releasing the gun. Horatio tugged but still, Rick maintained his hold.

"Rick…let go…"

Rick smiled and let loose his hold of the gun. The second he did so, he went for his wrist. Horatio dropped the gun almost immediately at the instant Rick's hand came in contact with his wrist.

Horatio grabbed Rick by the wrist, wanting him to let go. The action only made Rick tighten his grasp; fingers digging into flesh. "Arrgh!" Horatio swung his free hand, making Rick let go as he evaded the retaliation.

Horatio, winded, looked down at his wrist, gritting his teeth because of the pain Rick had given him. He shot a killer gaze at the brunette as he controlled his breathing and stopped his anger from taking over.

Rick stood stunned by the redhead's reaction and couldn't help but look down at his hand, that was now glistening with blood. He glance at Horatio's sleeve to make sure…low and behold, blood was dripping from the wrist he had taken the liberty of "holding." So, he was right and he will continue as planned.

"Horatio, you care to explain this to me?" Rick said, raising his blood-covered hand.

"I don't need to tell you anything," Horatio said through gritted teeth. "Now, get out of my office!"

Rick shook his head disappointingly and, surprisingly, walked out the office…but came back with a number of officers. He gave them orders which they nodded with complete compliance.

"Rick…"

"No time for chit-chat, Horatio," Stetler said as his small army surrounded the redhead, leaving no space or chance for him to have a way out. "I already gave you the opportunity, which you've turned down."

"What are you doing, Rick?" Horatio said; alert that he was now enclosed by half a dozen police officers from which he was familiar with: Shea the Santa-waisted newcomer, Smith the blonde and brawny veteran, San Juan the tall Cuban, Franco the bald and unshaven no-nonsense cop, Westen the baby-faced law enforcer and, finally, Llaga (pronounced as Li-ya-gah) the leader of the bunch.

"What I should've done two days ago," Stetler simply said and cocked his head. The officers shifted, getting ready. "You guys know what to do."

Horatio stood still and straight, placing his hands at his hips. He gazed down, standing sideways, saying with a hazardous tone, "Officers, a word of advice if you don't mind"—he lifted his head, giving them a piercing gaze and a nerve-racking smile—"I will not go quietly."

It seems that they weren't listening because their eyes never wavered. They could see that the Lieutenant was serious but they couldn't afford to back down. The Sergeant gave an order so they had to do as they were told. Even though the redhead was in charge, the brunette was from IAB…which made things much more…complicated. Either way, they were risking their jobs.

Rick Stetler frowned. 'Horatio looks…different…' he thought. He never saw him smile like that before. It was unusually freaky.

"You've been warned, gentlemen," said Horatio in a don't-blame-me-if-you-get-hurt tone.

Suddenly, Horatio already saw himself face-to-face with one of them. The tallest of them, San Juan, came forward, his hands ready to grab his frame. He twisted and elbowed him on the chest, took his arm and flung him over his body, sending San Juan crashing to the sofa and unto the ground. A second officer seized the redhead, locking him between his muscular arms. Horatio crouched down and pushed Smith's arms upward by lifting his arms and elbows, loosening the bear hug. He saw Shea coming after him so he ran backward with Smith still behind him. He heard a scream at the back as Smith collided with his wooden desk. Shea grabbed his shirt and, at that moment, he leaned backward, already on top of Smith. He retracted his legs and kicked Shea on the stomach. Shea released him and tumbled backward, clutching his stomach, fighting for breath.

"3 down," Horatio huffed, getting off Smith and letting him slide to the floor. "3 to go."

Officers Llaga, Franco and Westen exchanged glances, and then nodded, telling each other the obvious message that they had to apprehend the stubborn lieutenant at the same time. At once, all 3 of them went for the redhead; one had his arms around Horatio's waist, constricting him, and the other two had put it upon themselves to bind the Lieutenant's hands to stop him from fighting back.

Horatio saw the handcuffs, shining between officer Llaga's fingers. He acted quickly, pounding Franco's back until he could feel the grip around his waist loosen. He then shoved Franco aside with his foot and went for Llaga and Westen. Horatio grabbed Llaga's hand that had the handcuffs and tore it out of his grip. Horatio cuffed Llaga's hand to one unsuspecting Westen's ankle.

Fighting for balance, Westen tried to grab anything he could reach to help support himself but only caught Horatio's fist with his face. Westen stumbled completely, dragging Llaga along with him. Llaga struggled to get the keys for the restraints as Westen laid on the floor, both hands covering his face, moaning in pain.

Horatio stood there, in deep breaths, taking in his work. "I'm sorry…" he suddenly said, wondering what came over him resulting in such harsh retribution. He didn't need to hurt them to get away, so why did he? He turned around to get out of his office as well as the building when a crushing force knocked the air out of him and had him pressed against the wall.

"Did you really think I'd let you walk out of here THAT easy, Horatio?" Stetler said, his forearm pressing the redhead's throat. Brown met blue and only hate burned in both of them.

"Get off, Rick!"

"Don't you get it, Horatio?" Stetler said, face-to-face. "I know there's something wrong. I'm trying to help you."

"I didn't ask for your help, Rick, now get off!" Horatio shot back, having a difficult time to fighting for self-control.

Stetler heard the officers as they got up, grunting. He looked angrily at Horatio and said, "You'll thank me after this ends, Horatio." He turned to Officer Llaga and barked, "Pin him and don't give him a fucking chance to move!"

"Yes, sir," Llaga responded and gestured the others to get their asses moving.

Stetler gave Horatio one last look before handing him to his small army. All of them hastily got their hands on him and didn't let go.

"You're gonna regret this, Rick," oozed out of Horatio's mouth. He couldn't move an inch. He was held in place by 6 pairs of hands and 6 bodies (what unfair odds…).

"Not as much as you will, Horatio," Rick retorted. "I'm damn sure."

"STETLER!!"

The IAB agent spun around and saw Delko, followed by Duquesne and Wolfe, fury etched on their faces. Duquesne pushed the Cuban aside and went directly to Stetler's face, lucky for him; he caught the bullet girl's fist in time before it made contact with his face.

"Calm down, Duquesne," Stetler said.

"That's a pretty stupid thing to be sayin', sergeant," she said, irate. She saw her boss, her close friend being held down by those lapdogs.

Eric and Ryan marched forward and backed Calleigh up, shooting Stetler a look that could boil water. Eric was having a very hard time controlling himself as he said, "If you don't tell those guys to let H go, I will happily beat your ass to a bloody pulp!"

"As flattering as that sounds, Delko, I have business to attend to," Stetler said dryly, letting go of Calleigh and turning his back.

"What the?" Calleigh said, looking at the back of her hand. It was blood. Stetler must've transferred it when he caught her fist.

"Is that blood?" Ryan asked, noticing the scarlet too.

"Yes," Rick answered. "And you're about to see a whole lot more…from the same donor," he muttered.

"What are you gonna do, Stetler?"

"I am going to prove my theory further," Rick replied. "Officer Llaga…"

Llaga nodded and instructed the others to be cautious. He worked his way through the struggling redhead. They were fortunate that the redhead's injuries got to him, weakening him and making him dizzy, otherwise, they would be flat on the floor, this time, unconscious.

"What are you trying to prove, Rick?"

"Aside from being right?" Stetler smiled and got closer. "Well, the feeling of still knowing the 'Angel' within is, by all accounts, gratifying."

Horatio froze and stared at his rival. Officer Llaga took advantage of the moment and slid the jacket right off him.

As the others were trying their hardest to make sure that the lieutenant won't pull a fast one on them, Llaga did things quick and instead of unbuttoning the redhead's shirt, he tore it wide open in one quick motion, sending the buttons flying.

Horatio ducked his head and looked away, his face unfathomable. He acted like he was ashamed of his own body, too disgusted to even look. From the waist up, he was bare. There was a long hideous scar on the left side of his stomach. It looked old but painful. Aside from the scar, everything looked fine. There was a light bruise on his mid-section but other than that, nothing life threatening.

Horatio, with his gaze still away and head still down, said in a low growl, "Let me go…"

Not waiting for a reply from the IAB sergeant, the young officers backed off hastily, as if getting away from a large Tiger that's ready to kill without hesitation. The red head, however, didn't move, but his shirt slid off his back, exposing him completely. His gaze was directed to the floor, casting a shadow over his stripped upper torso. He looked silent…as well as deadly.

"There, Stetler, it's off," Calleigh said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Nothing."

"Why don't you piss off, Stetler?" Ryan said, taking as few steps forward.

"How about you, Delko?" Stetler said, helping him point out something. "You've got anything to say?"

Calleigh and Ryan glanced at Eric, who shot Stetler a look and just turned the other way.

"I thought so," Rick said, smiling.

"Sir," Officer Llaga said, a grave look settled on his face. He was standing near the quiet lieutenant.

"I know…"

"That's enough!" Calleigh ordered. Her face turned from hell-on-earth infuriated to worried and concerned.

Calleigh Duquesne walked towards Horatio, to comfort him. 'He looks so violated,' she thought. She couldn't see his face properly but she knew he was hurt. She fell apart seeing him like this.

"Horatio," she said softly with a gentle smile. "You okay, handsome?"

No answer was returned. The redhead just stood still, as silent as ever, gazing down on the floor. Calleigh saw his hands clenched to a fist, slightly trembling. She stopped herself. Her eyes were getting flooded and she didn't want to cry, not now. She wanted to be strong for Horatio and not show weakness.

Calleigh stood there, taking it all in. But then, she noticed a mark on Horatio's shoulder that disappeared around his back. Her curiosity got the better of her. She took the redhead by the shoulders and slowly turned him around. What she saw made the tears fall freely from her eyes. He covered her mouth and shook her head in disbelief; not taking it, she turned away.

Once Calleigh was out of the view, they all saw it. Gasps filled the room; some closed their eyes, some which were too weak to look just glanced the other way, while Stetler, Wolfe and Delko didn't know how to respond as they witnessed such a horrible and gory sight. They watched silently, only the sound of the lieutenant's heavy breathing could be heard.

"Oh, god…" Ryan let out, turning to the other side, not being able to look anymore.

Horatio had several long scars on his back that reached from his left shoulder all the way to his right hip, as well as some small ones running criss-cross. There were huge welts and fresh cuts present. To top it all off, every surface of his damaged back was covered in blood. They couldn't suppress their appalled looks.

Eric Delko and Rick Stetler became aware that Horatio was leaning, his head hanging limply from his shoulders and his back, rising and falling with every breath he took. The redhead's back was shining with the color of blood, seeping through his wounds.

"Oh my god…" Delko muttered and then turned away to the corner where Calleigh can do nothing but sob.

Sergeant Stetler moved in closer, trying to find out what the Cuban had seen. His eyes squinted as he saw something reflect. Rick went pale. He stopped himself from expressing out the shock that took over.

Glass, several shards of it, reflected, glistening along with the scarlet. They penetrated the skin, lodged in, some between and on the shoulder blades while others down his lower back. How long they had been stuck there, its witnesses had no idea.

Horatio's fists loosen their grip; his breathing slowing. The red-haired lieutenant moved his head and looked over his shoulder and gazed at Stetler. He looked grey and gaunt, his eyes barely opened…

Rick lunged forward and wrapped his arms around the pale body, pulling Horatio in as he past out.

Supporting Horatio's limp body, Stetler glanced from the officers to the CSIs. His face, filled with pity for the man he was carrying.

Eric understood and took out his cell phone. But before he could dial 9-1-1 Alexx came in, accompanied by paramedics who were already carrying a first aid kit and a stretcher. They couldn't have come at a better time…

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Calleigh: What'cha lookin' for, darlin'?

Horatio: More of a who, actually…

Calleigh: Okay…(rephrasing) Who are you looking for?

Horatio: Well, I heard that Little Horatio was having a special guest again and I just thought that I'd be the first one to greet that guest.

Calleigh: Don't you wanna lie down for a bit? You're hurt and…

Horatio: No, thank you, ma'am, I'm fine…

Calleigh: So…who is this special guest?

Horatio: Um…a young lady named…daxy…

Calleigh: Alrighty then, just holler at me when she arrives, 'kay?

Horatio: Yes, ma'am


	16. Guilt ridden

Horatio: Ahh…there you are. You must be daxy. It's a pleasure to finally meet you.

daxy: Hi! It's good to see you, too!

Calleigh: So, this must be daxy! Hey ya'll!

Little Horatio: oh, hey, daxy!

Horatio: Looks like somebody brought the welcome wagon (Seeing Little Horatio with Rick, Eric, Speed and Ryan).

Eric: Of course, nice to meet'ya, daxy.

Ryan: Hey, dax!

daxy: It's nice to meet all of you…(Turns around and sees Rick)…except you…

Rick: WHAT?!

Little Horatio: (listens to Rick bawl) It's times like these that I am glad I don't own anything.

daxy: Likewise…Ew, Stetler, get off me.

Rick: You're the fourth special guest who gave me the cold shoulder! How could you!?

daxy: Simple…like this…(Faces the other way)…

Rick: The world is so cruel!!!

Speed: Get a grip, man…(Rolls eyes)…sheesh…

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Chapter 16: Guilt-ridden

"The Lieutenant's lost a lot of blood," one of the MEs said, strapping the unconscious redhead on the stretcher. "And he's got serious injuries."

"His BP is low," the other one said, checking Horatio's pulse before placing a neck brace around him.

"What happened?"

"We don't know…" Alexx answered, her arms crossed. "…yet."

After checking one last time, both the MEs went to each side and lifted the stretcher, carrying the cataleptic lieutenant out of the office.

"We're ready to go, Doctor Woods."

Alexx shook her head, saying worriedly, "Wait 'til Horatio finds out that he'd been sent out via stretcher…He'd go loopy."

Calleigh chuckled and stopped herself from crying. "Thanks, Alexx."

"You're welcome, baby," she said and followed the paramedics out but was stopped by the young CSI, Ryan Wolfe.

"Wait," he said. "We're coming with you."

"No, you're not."

They turned their sights on Stetler, his front, covered with Horatio's blood. "You've got a job to do."

"What do you mean?" asked Calleigh, wiping tears off her face using her handkerchief.

"You've got a new crime scene to process." Stetler handed Delko a piece of paper.

"What?" said Ryan, "This office?"

"No…" Eric answered his eyes on the sheet of paper given to him. "…H's house."

"Damn…"

"All of you get moving," ordered the IAB Agent. "I want the bastard who did this to Horatio as soon as possible."

"You're not the only one…" growled Eric Delko.

This kind of scenario never occurred to any of them. Taking an order from IAB as a CSI was unthinkable, especially with Rick Stetler telling them what to do. It was never to be expected, not in a million years. Yet, surprisingly, they obeyed without complaint. They all wanted the same thing…and that's to get their hands on the son-of-a-bitch who caused their redhead a lot of anguish.

"We should…get goin'," spoke Calleigh.

"No, Cal…"

Calleigh turned to the Chief Medical Examiner and asked, "Why? What is it, Alexx?"

"Honey," she said and glanced down at Horatio, her eyes filled with a mixture of complicated emotions. "He needs you."

Calleigh gazed at Alexx then to Horatio. She felt very guilty of the fact that she hadn't noticed Horatio hurting like this. At first, she ignored the feeling, but now she knew better. She wanted to kick herself. She had shrugged off the feeling when she listened to him as he told him about what happened to him and what caused the head injury, choosing to accept the said excuse. That it was only an "accident." She changed her mind; she wanted to hit herself with a shovel for being so ignorant and clueless. She shouldn't have let her emotions for him cover her judgment on what to do when it came to him. She had "gone soft" these past couple of days and she vowed that she'll never do that again.

"Calleigh?"

"Cal, it's okay," Eric said, giving her a tiny smile. "You should go with Alexx. We can deal with the crime scene."

"Are you sure? Because—"

"Yeah, Calleigh," said Ryan, showing an elevating smile. "We can take care of it."

"You sure you guys are gonna be fine without me?" Calleigh asked, giving them and herself last chance.

"Yeah, Cal," replied Ryan persistently. "We're big boys, we can handle it."

"Okay, let's go, baby," Alexx said and strode off with Calleigh by her side.

"We should move too, Wolfe," Eric said and saw him nod. They left Stetler alone as they exited their boss' office.

Raising his hands and gazing at the blood that covered it, Rick muttered, "Just like old times…"

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Come on, H," Speed said uneasily. "Pick up!"

Inside the Taxi, Tim Speedle exhaled heavily. Having missed his flight hadn't bothered him; it was H not picking up his cell phone that was bothering him. He had been calling for the past 10 minutes, whether it was cell or landline, the redhead wasn't answering.

'Why isn't he answering?!' Tim screams internally, frustrated. He wanted to fling his cell phone out the window with all the frustration. He inhaled deeply and let the air evacuate his mouth slowly, calming and convincing himself that all was fine and that Horatio was still okay and not dead yet.

'Okay,' he thought. 'Why did that cross my mind so quickly?'

The answer was far beyond obvious. Horatio looked terrible and not himself in so many ways when he, Speed, came to spend time with them. And he just remembered now that every time the redhead made physical contact with anybody, he'd either flinch or go rigid for a moment. And the time when he gave the lieutenant a hug and pat goodbye, which made him, hold his breath and go tense.

What was going on? He suddenly felt…guilty.

Tim pressed the END button and dialed again, but this time it wasn't Horatio. It was his smart-ass friend, Eric Delko. He was sure that Delko would answer at once, since it was quite plain to see that the Cuban was nothing without his "wingman." A minute went by and…nothing.

"Damn it!" he shouted out of irritation and threw his cell phone angrily.

"Hey, man!" the taxi driver shouted, one hand massaging the back of his head. "What's your problem?!"

"Sorry," mumbled Speed and picked up his cell. There was a large scratch on the screen. 'Great,' he thought. He redialed Eric's number and tapped his fingers impatiently on his knee, waiting for an answer.

"Pick up, Delko, pick up!" Speed said out loud, still getting nothing. "Why won't they answer their damn phones!?"

"Maybe they've chucked their cell phones at innocent taxi drivers," the driver suggested mockingly, looking at the smug CSI through his rear-view mirror.

Speed gave the smart-mouth taxi driver an exasperated look and said in a try-me-and-I'll-throw-YOU-out tone, "Just shut up and drive."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"You got anything, Delko?" asked Ryan.

"No," Eric answered, one hand pressing a cell phone on his ear and the other holding the steering wheel of Hummer H2. "Speed must've boarded already; his line is either busy or dead."

Delko pressed the END button and pocketed his cell. Now, both hands are on the steering wheel as he sped up and entered the curve. His grip tightened as incense suddenly struck him.

How can he be so stupid? He noticed a lot of things wrong with H but he just let it all go unattended. He thought that H started to lighten up and be late and show exhaustion just like everybody else. And he even thought that H had a bar fight with somebody, in contrast to the whole bedside table thing. He knew that he wasn't the only one who hadn't believed his boss' excuse. To make matters worse, images began circling in his head, showing him the bloody mess Horatio was in, those deep cuts, the bruises and scratches and the limp he thought he had imagined earlier this morning.

He felt utterly responsible as he remembered himself saying to the Calleigh that she shouldn't worry about their boss being late because it wasn't life-threatening in any way. It was just normal. What if she followed Calleigh's advice and let her—or himself—check on Horatio? What if he made sure that the redhead was okay and that nothing bad had happened? He could've prevented it all from happening, the pain that his brother-in-law went through. But it was all-too late now, the damage was done.

He had let out his anger towards his carelessness by pounding the steering wheel which caused the airbag to automatically blow up, sending them swerving to a stop. Luckily, there was no one on the road but the departmental Hummer and its occupants.

Ryan took all of this by surprise and was wide-eyed by his partner's actions. He couldn't blame him for what he'd done and just watched Eric as he closed his eyes and controlled his breathing, jaws tensed.

"It's eating me too."

Eric glared at him, his fists clenched.

"The guilt…"Ryan said, not knowing how to say the words properly but still continued with it. "…and the resentment that we didn't do anything when we knew something was wrong."

Eric ran a hand through his hair and then to his face, saying, "It's all my fault, Wolfe."

"Mine too."

"You don't get it, Wolfe!" Eric yelled. "I didn't do anything! I'm his brother-in-law for Christ's sake!! I should've known—"

"No, Delko, WE didn't do anything!" Ryan argued, pissed that his colleague acted like this. "And I know he's your brother-in-law! But Horatio—he's like a father to me! So don't give me this crap that you're the one to blame and that I don't know what it feels like to lose somebody!"

Delko didn't answer back, knowing that what his friend said was right. Not wanting to look at him, he turned the other way.

Ryan Wolfe sighed and placed a hand on Eric's shoulder and said, "Look, we should get to the crime scene. It's the only way we can help H now."

"Okay," Eric said in a hushed tone and restarted the Hummer.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Paula, where's Horatio?" asked Speed, the moment he exited the elevator. "I need to talk to him."

"He's—"

"He's gone," Stetler interrupted, standing sideways and writing something.

"What do you mean 'gone'?"

"Aren't you supposed to be on a flight to New York?" asked the Sergeant, ignoring the question.

"I cancelled. Look, I need to—"He saw Stetler turn; now facing him. "—tell me that's not blood."

"No, it's strawberry syrup," Stetler said simply then waved it off. "Now, Speedle, why are you here?"

"Where's Horatio?"

"AFTER you tell me why you're here."

"Okay!" Speed shot with utter annoyance. "But only if you promise to tell me where Horatio is."

"Shoot." Stetler agreed to the bargain.

"Detective Taylor, New York, said that there were case files missing and…" He wasn't sure if it was right to tell **I**diotic **A**ss for **B**rains this, but he had no choice at the moment. Time was running out. "…it's got something to do with Horatio."

"Horatio's involved? Why would he be in—"

"Tell me where he is," Speed reminded him.

"He's at Miami-Dade Teaching Hospital," Stetler answered automatically.

"Why?"

"We…" Rick wondered how to deliver the news. "…we figured out why he was acting…oddly these couple of days."

"Well?" Speed said, waiting for more and feeling left out of the loop. "What?"

"To put it in simple terms, Speedle," said Stetler then sighed. "He went through hell."

Tim leaned on the receptionist's desk, ran a hand through his already messy hair and sighed in irritation.

"What else?"

Rick stared at him for a bit and saw the gravity in the CSI face. "…blood."

Speed wanted to punch himself. He was too late. "Damn it!"

"Don't put yourself into this, Speed," Stetler said as if reading the younger man's mind.

"If I get my hands on that son-of-a-bitch who hurt Horatio, I'll—"

"Stop it, Speedle," Stetler scoffed, hearing him swear like that. "We don't even know who did this yet and why Horatio didn't say a damn thing about it!"

"I have my mind set on somebody," Speed mumbled.

"As do I."

Speed pinched the bridge of his nose, pacing. He stopped and said, "Who's with H?"

"Woods and Duquesne."

"What about Delko and Wolfe?"

"They're processing the crime scene," Rick answered, knowing where this was leading.

"Where?"

"Horatio's," said Stetler. "At his house."

Speed thought for a bit and nodded to himself, saying, "I'll go to the crime scene."

"Whoah, wait," Stetler said and lifted a hand, stopping him. "I already told you to NOT put yourself into this."

"Shut it, Stetler," said Speed, pointing a finger. "I'm going and don't get in my way."

"This is out of your jurisdiction—WAY OUT," the IAB agent contradicted, standing firm. "This isn't New York, Speedle, and you're not part of MDPD anymore."

"But I'm still a CSI," Speed shot back.

Stetler could see the fire burning in the eyes of the young CSI, filled with unrelenting determination. He knew there was no convincing this kind of person so he did what he thought was right.

"Okay," Stetler agreed, "but in one condition; you're coming with ME."

"Whatever," Speed said, "just change your shirt."

Tim saw Stetler give him a look but he continued, saying, "You look like a walking crime scene."

…………………………………………………………………………………………

"I've just realized something," Ryan said out of the blue as they walked towards their boss' beach front home. "Working with H for 3 years now, I've never been in his house before."

"Me either."

"What?" Ryan said, turning and giving him a doubtful stare. "You serious?"

"Yeah," Eric said, carrying a camera and CSI kit like his partner. "In my 7 years working for H, this is the first time I get to see his crib AND even go inside."

"I thought working with H for so long; you guys had hung out or celebrated birthdays or something like that," said Ryan as they neared the front porch.

"Yeah, we did, but H didn't," said Eric and chuckled a little. "My brother-in-law is more of an I-like-to-be-alone-and-I-like-to-keep-it-that-way kind of guy. The only one I knew that had stayed at H's house aside from H was my sister, Mari."

"That's weird. I though H was more of an I-like-to-keep-things-quiet-and-serene kind of guy," suggested Ryan, wore his gloves and took snapshots of the door that was slightly open before pushing the door further with his index finger, so as not to disturb any evidence.

"Whoah…"

Their eyes trailed all over the interior as the door was pushed completely open, uncovering entirely what they're seeing. It looked like Hurricane Anthony took its time and wrecked the place. The furniture was either toppled or broken or, in the case of what looked like the glass coffee table, absolutely destroyed beyond repair.

"So much for quiet and serene…" Eric remarked, his eyes all over the interior.

"Delko…" Wolfe called, crouching down.

"What is it?" Delko watched Wolfe observing the floor intently. There were broken glass everywhere. "On second thought, don't tell me…"

"It's blood…"

"I guess that's, uh…that's where H got all those cuts," said Delko, putting the bloody image out of his head. "There were shards still attached when I saw his back."

"This is a lot of blood, Delko," said Wolfe, measuring and pictures of the evidence. "H must have been in severe pain."

Delko sighed, frustrated. "I wanna get the one responsible for this so badly."

"We all do…" said Wolfe. He thought for a bit and then said, "But something keeps bothering me."

"What?"

"Two questions."

"Shoot."

"What I don't get is," Ryan started, "why didn't H tell us what's been happening to him and why was he still coming for work when he obviously needed to head to the ER.?"

"That's been messing with me too," Eric admitted. "I guess we'll get the answer once this is over…god-forbid if H even tells us."

"Yeah, I know," said Ryan, straightening up. "So, I'll go handle upstairs?"

"Sure," Eric replied, putting down his CSI kit and preparing his camera that dangled around his neck. "I'll cover this area."

While Ryan Wolfe went up the stairs, Eric Delko did his job processing the living room. He finished taking blood samples, fibers, hairs, fingerprints and trace so he searched the rest of the house.

He checked out the kitchen and all of its occupants, the refrigerator, the cabinets, the drawers and the cupboards. All seems to be in order but there was something missing…food. The fridge was nothing but empty. The cabinets and drawers were all filled with only a number of plates, coffee cups, mugs, and assorted kitchen utensils.

He searched the trash bin and there were left-over fast food, and from the looks of it, it was a few days old. He checked the other kitchen appliances and soon found out that the cable of the microwave was gone. It looked like it was yanked out.

"That's weird…" Eric mumbled, and took a picture.

He went past a corridor and noticed a door, ajar. He pushed it with one finger, letting the door swing open. He entered the room.

He couldn't believe it. He just smiled as the shock registered.

The room was pack-full of books—wall to wall—and file cabinets. If it weren't for the wooden desk, the desk lamp, the white board, folders, envelopes—everything that you can find inside a regular office—he could've sworn that he was in a miniature library rather than in his boss' study.

Delko glanced to the other side of the room and saw a large poster on the wall. He took a few steps, hoping to get a closer look when he heard a light crunching sound. He looked down.

"A picture…?" Eric said, taking his foot off it. He crouched down and took a quick snapshot before picking it up. In the process, saw a dozen or so more.

Before picking up all the photos, he adjusted his camera and bent down taking pictures of the photographs. The lights flashed with every click of the camera, making it blink.

Judging from the slightly frayed and yellowing color of its sides, the young CSI was guessing it was old…quite old. He gathered them up and studied the photos one by one, absorbing its contents. The butterflies in his stomach seemed to double every time he skimmed through the new found evidence.

Just as he thought, his first impression of what he found was correct. They were evidence photos, pictures of a crime scene and everything. A body of a dead woman, the victim, lying on a pool of her own blood was never easy to look at. A gun shot wound (GSW) was clear enough to see what caused her untimely and unfortunate death.

Delko sighed. She was too beautiful to be a gun shot victim (GSV), he thought, as he continued flipping through the images. The woman had smooth, brown hair. She looked striking in every angle even when dead. It was such a waste for a woman to die as young and as stunning as her. What a shame…

Eyes on a certain picture, he looked at the back, hoping to get some detail of when this evidence photo was taken. He saw nothing.

What confused him was what were these doing here? And for what purpose? Did H decide to bring them home to take a more long and hard look? What case was this? He didn't know. And why was it that the woman looked somewhat familiar?

Eric looked at the picture again and felt himself sadden. He saw each and everyday, in his line of work, Death separating someone from the people they loved and cared about, just like what it did to his sister, Marisol.

The Cuban sighed again and inserted the photos into an evidence bag and continued with his work. He went behind the desk and took out his finger print powder. He felt more determined than ever in finding their suspect…and in stopping Death from taking anymore of the people he loved. This was his time to prove himself, and to repay his brother-in-law in everything he did for him.

"I'll do my best, H," he mumbled under his breath. "For you…and for Mari…"

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"I'm worried, Alexx."

"Don't be, honey," Alexx said, rubbing Calleigh's back in routine circles. "He'll be fine. Horatio's a strong man."

They were sitting on a couch, in the waiting room, trying to relax while they waited for any news concerning their MDPD crime lab supervisor. When they were on their way to the hospital…let's just say that it wasn't a pretty sight.

Inside the ambulance, the EMTs did their best to make Horatio as comfortable as possible; the man was obviously in a great deal of pain. It was a good thing that the new hospital, Miami-Dade Teaching Hospital or MDTH in short, was not very far from MDPD. It was a convenience for all of them. But Horatio didn't make the trip all that effortless.

The redhead was just lying there, on a gurney, unconscious, when his breathing became erratic and he began to convulse. Calleigh needed to let go of his hand in order to give Alexx and the EMTs some space to work their way in stopping him from shaking.

Calleigh just sat there, out of the way, feeling helpless and watching them while they worked, with Alexx giving them instructions. She didn't know what to do. It was a good thing that they were able to make Horatio stable by the time they arrived at the hospital, or things would have been hectic.

"I don't know, Alexx," Calleigh said, tears welling in her eyes. "I can't shake of the feelin' that somethin's not right. I haven't seen Horatio like this and it worries me."

"I know what you mean, baby," Alexx said with a sigh. "We're so used to seeing Horatio as the savior, not the victim."

Calleigh sighed and let a tear stream down her cheek. "I always see him as the one who's brave, strong, determined, kind, gentle, passionate, self-sacrificing…"

"Stubborn," Alexx added with a smirk.

"Right," Calleigh giggled. "That too…stubborn..."

The African-American watched her as she dabbed a napkin to prevent any more tears from falling. She was glad that Calleigh felt better and she couldn't help but show a small smile that apparently took hint.

"You know, honey," Alexx spoke, giving the person sitting next to her a look that couldn't be ignored. "From the way you're talking and blushing like that, I'd say you have feelings for him that surpasses friendship."

The blond southern belle smiled sheepishly, telling her, "You can say that."

"So, I was right," Alexx said triumphantly. "I still got it."

"That, you do," nodded Calleigh. "Nobody can hide anythin' from you, Alexx…even the dead."

"Now, that's just changing the subject," Alexx interjected. "Tell me, how do you really feel about him?"

"I don't know…" said Calleigh, fiddling with her fingers. "Is this really a good time to be talkin' about this? I mean, here?"

"When is the right time?" Alexx responded. "We might as well talk about this right now while we're waiting. Come on, baby, spill."

"Honestly, Alexx," Calleigh, feeling a wave of emotions overflowing in her body, heart and mind. "Sometimes, I don't know what it is. I know I have special feelings for him but I don't know where to put it."

"You're just confused, honey," Alexx said. "Now, when did you start having that tingly feeling for him?"

Calleigh straightened up and raised her eyebrows. She shrugged, saying, "I never really thought about that. I just…felt it."

"The question is," Alexx said thoughtfully. "Does Horatio feel the same?"

"No clue," Calleigh answered rather quickly. "There are times when I feel like I'm losin' it and I'm gonna expose myself but, Horatio seems so—"

"Oblivious," Alexx finished the sentence for her. It sounded straight-forward; the downright opposite of a guess. She rolled her eyes, saying, "Figures…"

"How'd you know?"

"Well, honey, I've known Horatio for 10 years now and I know what he's good at and not good at," Alexx laughed. "Aside from being good at being unbearably stubborn, he does a damn excellent job reading a person's mind and body language, especially with suspects, but not—"

"—when it comes to women." This time Calleigh finished for her.

"Don't get me wrong, baby," Alexx continued. "Horatio is one amazing and charming gentleman. He knows how to treat a lady; always with decency and respect. It's just that…he tends to OVERLOOK certain things—if you get what I mean."

"I know…" Calleigh groaned. "Thinking about that makes me feel…hopeless."

"Don't think that, honey," Alexx said encouragingly. "Look at dear Marisol, she waited for Horatio to make the first move, bless her big heart."

Before their conversation could continue, a man in a white coat walked in. Both Calleigh and Alexx stood up and exchanged glances, their eyes screaming for answers.

"Hello, ladies," the man said with a small smile. "First of all, may I introduce myself? Okay. Now, I am Doctor Ben Sanz."

"Nice to meet you, Doctor Sanz," Calleigh said.

"Please, call me Ben," he said. "Now you are Miss Calleigh Duquesne and Doctor Alexx Woods, correct?"

"Yes, Ben," Alexx replied quickly, waving off the formal introductions. "How's Horatio? Is he okay?"

"Calm down, Doctor Woods," Doctor Sanz said. "We're prepping the Lieutenant for surgery. He's got numerous lacerations and glass embedded on his back. And, um…his wrists are—"

"What about his wrists?" Calleigh asked worriedly. "Can we see him? Only for a little while."

"Um…" Doctor Sanz didn't know what to say. He obviously couldn't say no to those puppy dog eyes of hers. And that pout. He knew it was violating protocol but… "Okay…"

"Thank you, Ben," Alexx said and turned to Calleigh, grabbing her hand. "Come on, honey, let's see him."

They got inside a room where Horatio was on the bed, still unconscious. He was naked from the waist up and he was shivering a little. His chest rose up and down, in rhythm with his heavy breathing. The doctor explained that they have wiped off the blood in preparation for the surgery. He showed them the Lieutenant's mangled wrists; the skin all loose and the flesh covered with dried blood, and the now dark bruises on his chest, shoulder and neck area. Then, the doctor showed the perforation on his left heel. That was enough…

"God, Horatio…" Alexx said, angry that his best friend didn't tell her anything about this and that he went through all this alone. "…the moment you wake up from surgery I'll give you the lecture of your life!"

"I think I better leave you three alone," said Doctor Sanz and darted out of the room.

Calleigh just watched Alexx go on about her ranting; 'Horatio being so stubborn that he'd kill himself rather than tell anyone about his problems. It's crazy!' The blond couldn't agree more. If there was one thing that the redhead's colleagues never had the patience for, especially Doctors Woods, it was his being stubborn. But Calleigh didn't feel angry about her boss' and friend's actions. It was hard to be when you see him unconscious and lying on a hospital bed like that.

Finally, when Alexx was out of breath with all her bantering to the out cold redhead, Calleigh giggled a little and was about to remind her about the operation room waiting when she felt something brush past her. She turned around to see who it was.

"Mr. Caine…"

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

CSI Ryan Wolfe took one final snapshot before placing the camera beside him, on the floor. He opened his field-kit and took out a cotton swab. He dabbed it at the corner of the bedside table, taking a small amount of crimson with it.

"Yup," he sighed. "Definitely blood."

So his boss really wasn't lying. He did fall and hit his head on the bedside table, but not from the bed. All the same, the point is, he didn't believe him. He stood up after retrieving his camera and shuddered as he once again laid his eyes on the bed.

His stupid comment was right. And he didn't feel happy about that. He kept eyeing the rope that was tangled on the corners of the foot board. There was enough flesh on it that can make you vividly imagined what had occurred. He didn't want to think about that, but the blood on the rope made it hard not to.

"Dried blood…" muttered Ryan and shook his head. "That's not good."

"It's never good…"

Ryan spun around as someone grabbed his shoulder.

"Jesus!" Ryan exhaled. "DELKO!"

"What?!" Delko responded, retracting his hand.

"Don't do that!" Ryan breathed heavily, one hand gripping his shirt. "You nearly gave me a heart attack, man!"

"Well, SORRY for checking up on you," said Eric with annoyed sarcasm.

"Whatever," said Ryan, finally regaining control of his breathing. "Just…just tell me what you think of this."

"From the looks on your face," Eric said. "I don't need to look at it to say 'shit' that's for sure."

"No, seriously," Ryan said, no more jokes this time. "Look at it."

Eric gave him a look but gave in eventually, saying as he turned around, "I don't see how this is going to—shit!"

"Told'ya…" 

"You have GOT to be kidding me," Eric said, looking at the bloody ropes and floor.

"No," Ran shook his head and crossed his arms. "I'm not."

"You mean to tell me that your sick fantasies were right?" said a bewildered Delko.

"Freaky…I know…"

"Man…" Eric was rubbing the back of his head, feeling the immeasurable weight of a grim presence surrounding the bedroom.

"There are numbers of blood spatter on the walls here," Ryan said, pointing them out. "They're more of back-spatter, really. The pattern was caused by a repeated swinging or stabbing motions of a weapon."

"And from this angle," Eric continued for him, facing the foot board. He kneeled down with Wolfe behind him. "H was…" He raised his hands, each on the other end of the foot board. "…H was bounded and…kneeling…the whole time…"

"And our number one…" Ryan took over, positioning himself behind Delko and readying himself as if he was about to strike. Delko's back was spread widely out before him, giving a lot of room to hit. "…delivered the beating of a lifetime."

"I…I just can't believe H in that kind of situation," admitted Delko as he got up.

"That's not even half of it," said Ryan and gestured towards the side of the bed.

Eric saw was his friend meant. There, at the corner, a side of the bedside table was covered in blood. He didn't know what to say this time. He felt ashamed though, for not believing his boss, friend, and brother-in-law.

"So, H wasn't lying…"

"Yeah," Ryan said, shoulders drooping. "I feel like crap."

"Me, too," Eric said, knowing that both of them half-heartedly believed the redhead. "Um…you done here?"

"Yeah."

"Good, 'cause I wanna show you something," Eric said as they got out the bedroom.

"What—Speed?"

Eric shook his head and chuckled as they started to go down the stairs. "Their you go with your sick fantasies again, Wolfe."

"No, man," Ryan quickly answered, giving him a what-the-hell look. "Speed!"

Eric raised his gaze and couldn't help not to smile. There the guy was, his wingman, standing near the door, next to…damn…Stetler.

"Speed, I knew you'd come back," Eric said joyfully, his arms spread. "It's—"

"Not your good looks, Delko," Speed cut him off, giving him a lazy-eyed stare. "Never was, ever will be."

"So, you obviously heard about H, that fast?" asked Ryan.

"Yeah, you have no idea how," Speed said, entering H's house and looking around. "So, H redecorated…"

"You've been here before?"

"Only once," Speed answered. "And it was only for a minute, when H had to get something."

"I never knew that," said Eric.

"There's a lot of things you don't know," remarked Speed.

"Have you two finished processing the crime scene?" interrupted Stetler. He kept looking around; Horatio's place is a mess.

"Yeah, I was just about to show—"

"Then show it," Stetler said, interrupting the CSI again.

Delko shot an angry glance at the IAB Agent before leading them into his boss' study. He stepped aside, letting them in first.

"Whoah…" escaped Ryan's mouth. "This is like a mini library."

"I know…" said Eric and proceeded on saying what he found. "I've got some prints and hair fibers; all red. And I had to make sure that there wasn't a third party."

"From the looks of it," Speed, said, turning around and looking out to the living room then back into the study. "Either H put up a really good fight or it was the other way around."

"Yeah, well," Eric pointed at the bookshelves. "You guys should take a closer look at these."

"I didn't know H was one who had time for books," said Speed, removing a book from a shelf. "He was always busy with case loads, he didn't even have enough time to get some sleep."

"Us, too," Eric said. "In fact, Mari never mentioned H as a bookworm."

"I always knew that Horatio had an affinity with books…" Stetler said distractedly, flipping through the pages of a certain book he picked.

Speed looked at the IAB Agent cynically when Eric said, "Look at the titles…"

Ryan Wolfe took the liberty of reading them out loud. "The Long Forgotten, Alone, In the Dead of Night, In the Dark, Deep Within, Solitude, Grave Matter, Bad blood, Longing and Regret, Multitudes of Sin, Hurt, The Forsaken Child…"

"It goes on and on," Eric said, gazing from one book to another.

"They sound…creepy," Ryan stated.

'With all the books here, no wonder Horatio is all quiet and secretive and eerily amused. Look at what he's been reading,' Ryan continued, this time only to himself. He only let the thought flow into his mind.

"You think that's creepy," Speed said, at the other side of the room. "Get a load at this."

"A large poster?"

"It's not just a poster," Eric said. "It's—"

"The Inferno," Stetler took over abruptly. "From Dante's Divine Comedy."

"Yeah," Eric grumbled, his eyebrows puckered. "What he said."

"The 9 circles of hell…" Speed said, his eyes trailing all over the outsized poster. "…where beyond the first circle, all of those condemned for active, deliberately willed sin are judged by Minos, who sentences each soul to one of the lower eight circles."

Everybody had their eyes on Tim Speedle, staring blankly after he finished talking.

"Okay, YOU are creeping ME out," Ryan said, emphasizing the words clearly.

"What can I say? Reading books is my addiction," Speed said with a shrugged.

"Believe him, Wolfe," Eric grinned. "He picks books over babes every time."

"Shut up, Delko."

While Speed and Delko went on one of their "fits" again with Wolfe as their spectator, Stetler took the opportunity to get a closer look without them seeing.

Rick Stetler knew his share about the Circles of Hell and its characteristics. He also knew that the circles are structured according to the classical (Aristotelian) conception of virtue and vice, so that they are grouped into the sins of incontinence, violence, and fraud. Now, what struck him was, why would a thing like this be hanging in Horatio's study? And adding all those kinds of books in context, he can—without a doubt—say that the man had changed. For what reasons? He had several guesses.

His eyes roamed around until something caught his attention. He saw something out of color—a discoloration on the poster that was neither very nor barely visible.

Squinting his eyes for a better look, he noticed that it was a darker shade of burgundy, spread like bars on the surface of the different circles of hell, next to the words it showed. The sins it contained. The color was familiar but he had to make sure. He stepped forward and sniffed the smears to see if his guess was right.

"Hmmm…" Rick contemplated on the smell. "Metallic copper…"

He lifted his hand, raised two fingers and traced the stains, imagining that it was placed there just like that. He stared at the words that were marked with the smears. His eyebrows furrowed…his guess was right.

"Eh-hem."

Rick turned around and saw Delko, Speed, and Wolfe staring at him with what-the-hell-are-you-doing look.

"What!?" said Stetler.

"Okay. Speed and this room may be creepy," Wolfe let out, "but YOU'RE bizzare."

"When you're done with…whatever you're doing, we'll be by the Hummer looking through the evidence if you need someone to piss off," Speed said, already out the door of the study.

Stetler gave him a smug look and followed, exiting the study. Glancing sideways, he walked around the living room. He saw the turned-over furniture, the destroyed glass coffee table, the blood, the shattered glass, the…closet.

"We found the photos, Mac," Speed said to his cell phone. "But there's a problem."

"_What kind of problem?"_

"The bastard who stole the photos got Horatio way before we took action," Speed spoke, gripping his cell more tightly. "H is in the hospital."

"_Damn it, this is my fault. I was too late in informing you about the case files."_

"No, Mac, it's mine," Speed corrected. "I'm his friend. I should've taken action when I noticed something was wrong with him…especially that cut on is temple."

"It's our fault," Eric muttered, standing beside Tim and listening to the conversation with Wolfe.

"Hey, Speedle!"

"What!?" Speed called out, turning to Stetler who just got out of the crime scene. "Can't you see I'm on the phone?"

"It's his father," said the Sergeant.

"What did you say?"

"It's Horatio's father," he repeated.

"What are you talking about," Speed shot back. "H's dad is dead."

"Just say it, Speedle," Stetler demanded.

"_Hey, Tim! You still there?"_

"Yeah, Mac, um…" hesitated Speed. "There's one more thing."

"_What is it?"_

"I think we know who caused all of this shit," said Speed.

"_Who?"_

"You can't be serious, Speed," protested Eric.

"Shut up, Delko," snapped Stetler.

Speed sighed, thinking it was along shot. "Mac, its H's dad…"

"_Horatio's father? That's impossible, his father's already dead."_

"I know, Mac, but—"

Stetler seized Speedle's cell phone and said, "Detective Taylor, this is Sergeant Stetler, IAB. We saw him. He pretended to be Horatio's uncle when he came to MDPD.

A moment's pause…

Reclaiming his phone and giving Stetler an intimidating look, Speed said, "Mac?"

"_Listen, it's been confirmed that the Lieutenant's father has been dead for over 20 years now. He was shot 3 times in the chest. So how can he still be alive?"_

"Mac, I have honestly no idea," Speed admittedly, taking the plastic evidence bag form Delko and flipped through them. "And besides, there's no evidence that can prove that his father is dead."

"_What do you mean 'there's no evidence?' The crime scene photos are right there."_

"No, Mac," replied Speed. "I'm holding'em right now and only the mother is on the photos, no father."

"That's H's moth—"

"Shut up, Wolfe," shushed Delko.

"_But 2 case files were stolen. One from a Katherine Ann Duncan and a Marc Anthony Caine, BOTH from the unsolved."_

Speed saw Stetler cock his head, seems like he wanted to say something…to him. He said his good-bye to his boss in New York and promised that he'd call if anything comes up.

"You found out about Horatio because of those stolen case files?" Stetler asked.

"Yeah, Mac told me when I called from the airport before boarding," answered Speed.

Stetler pondered for a moment then shifted his gaze to Eric Delko and Ryan Wolfe, saying, "Have you processed everything?"

"We already told you," Ryan said, annoyed of the IAB Agent's tone. "Yes."

"Everything?" Stetler repeated.

"Yes! I took over the whole of upstairs and Delko dealt with the rest."

Stetler gazed at Wolfe then at Delko and asked, "What did you process?"

Delko scowled and started enumerating. "The living room, the kitchen, the study—"

"Did you check the closet?" said Stetler, hands on hips now.

"The closet…?"

"Yes, the closet!" spat the Sergeant.

"No, I didn't," said Eric, realization hitting. "I must've missed it…"

"Then what are you waiting for?' barked Stetler. "Process it!"

Delko had enough of the IAB Agent's crap and was ready to attack him when a hand firmly placed on his shoulder stopped him. He heard Ryan saying to just let it go and walked with him back into the crime scene.

Speed ignored what happened and said to Stetler, "Are you sure about our number one? For me, the Uncle was only an assumption. I didn't blab out that our number one is really him."

"What else of a lead do we have?" questioned Stetler. Not waiting for an answer, he said, "Just call Duquesne and Woods and tell them."

Peed took out his cell phone again and was about to dial when there was suddenly a ringing sound. He glanced at Stetler who took out his phone and read who was calling; Woods.

"Stetler," the Sergeant answered. "We—"He halted almost immediately, listening intently to the other person at the end of the other line. His face went from calm to anger and disbelief. Another minute passed and he brought down his cell phone.

Stetler lifted his gaze from the floor to Speedle, saying in a low voice, "We're too late…He's got them."

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

daxy: How about we play a game before I leave? Everybody's included…(Looks at Rick)…except you…

Rick: WHAT?! Okay, now you're just doing that on purpose!

daxy: So? I don't like standing near people who desperately wants to be noticed.

Ryan: Hey, daxy! Look at me! Look what I can do!...(Eats an apple using his foot)…

daxy: Cool!

Little Horatio: (puts an arm around Rick's shoulders) it's okay, Rick, it's okay. Want a muffin?

Rick: T-thanks…(takes the muffin then throws it at Horatio's face)…

Little Horatio: RICK!!

Rick: (sarcastically says) Oh, joy, why don't you ignore me now? Go on, act like I'm not here. And that a muffin "mysteriously" flew straight to redhead's face!

daxy: Horatio! Are you okay?

Horatio: (wiping the muffin off his face) Okay…as you wish, Rick…(suddenly grabs the apple from Ryan's foot and throws it at Rick, hitting his right eye)…

Rick: AHHH! My eye!!! It hurts!!!

Horatio: Little Horatio…daxy…did you, by any chance, hear something?

Little Horatio and daxy: No… (Grinning)

Horatio: Gentlemen? (Looking from Eric, Speed and Ryan to Calleigh) Lady?

Calleigh: Nope…(shaking her head)…

Eric: No. (Trying to keep a straight face and play along) We don't hear someone wailing and we don't see anyone running around clutching their eye.

Horatio: Good…(rubbing the rest of the muffin off his face)

daxy: Okay, that was weird…(turns to Little Horatio)…thanks for letting me be here.

Little Horatio: It was nice having you. It was fun (Shaking daxy's hand).

daxy: Thanks again. (comes near Little Horatio's ear and whispers) If I were you, I'd put Stetler on a leash…

Rick: HELP ME!! (runs around, making a scene)

Little Horatio: I'll really consider that…

Calleigh: Look at you, handsome. I wanna eat you up.

Horatio: Be my guest, ma'am.

Speed: Can I have some frosting, too?

(Everybody stares…)

Speed: What? I'm hungry!

Eric: Riiiiiiiiiiiiight…


	17. Debt

Little Horatio: Ugh…

Horatio: What's wrong, Little Horatio?

Little Horatio: It's nothing…

Horatio: Come on, you can tell me.

Little Horatio: Well, I have this problem at school…

Horatio: A teacher, perhaps?

Little Horatio: Yeah, that's right. Um…remember kiuna'yukina?

Horatio: Yes, the charming young lady…

Little Horatio: Right. Our adviser just prepared a new cheating—I mean—seating arrangement and , well, she and I got separated. I'm there in the front row and she's all the way out the opposite side…

Horatio: Maybe, your teacher thought it was for the best.

Little Horatio: (scoffs) yeah. Right. He just did that to make us miserable. (A moment's pause) And you know what the annoying part is?

Horatio: Tell me.

Little Horatio: My teacher and YOUR FATHER have the same God-forsaken name. But instead with a C, my adviser's name ends with a K…Mark.

Horatio: That's…that's quite a coincidence.

Little Horatio: There's never a coincidence…I'm just glad that I don't own any of you, or I might've vented out on you guys.

Horatio: Don't worry, I know we'll find a way to get rid of our problems together.

Little Horatio: You know…I kinda liked how that sounded.

Horatio: Me too.

Chapter 17: Debt

"…he's got them."

"Them?" Speed repeated incredulously. "What the hell do you mean 'them'?"

"Samuel—I mean, Marc Anthony Caine took Horatio from the hospital…along with Calleigh Duquesne" Stetler answered. He rubbed his forehead using his thumb then asked, "What's our next move?"

"What else?" Speed told him, as pissed as ever. "We find them…and get the son-of-a-bitch."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"You've been beating her, haven't you?"

"It's none of your business," the brunette replied coldly, not wanting this conversation.

"It IS my business," said the man with bright red hair and serious blue eyes.

"Lay off!"

"Answer me, Raymund," he said calmly in his sideways stance, fiddling with his newly bought sunglasses. "Were you beating Yelina?"

"You're a thorn on my side, you know that?" shot Raymund, standing up from his seat at the kitchen table.

"Why would you do that, Raymund?" asked the elder one frostily. "She's your wife."

"That's right. She's MY wife," Raymund stated with complete emphasis. "So, this has nothing to do with you."

"It has everything to do with me," Horatio said sternly, hands on hips, throwing his jacket back. "I'm your brother—"

"Of course! Horatio Caine! My big brother," shouted Raymund, gesturing his hands, emphasizing every word. "The one who knows everything! And the one who's always right!"

Horatio Caine stared at his younger brother, Raymund Caine. He had heard that line so many times that he neglected to count anymore. As familiar as those words were, he had a feeling that anger wasn't the only thing that made his brother talk harshly to him like that.

"Raymund, are you…drunk?"

"Bingo!" exclaimed Raymund, lifting a finger in the air. "Right again, big brother."

Horatio pinched the bridge of his nose as he backed away slowly, trying not to put much into this. He didn't want anymore trouble. Once he gets carried away—which he always avoids on doing—their problem would just triple its size.

"Raymund, what have I told you about drinking?" the older asked firmly.

"Um…" Raymund thought for a bit. "…to not do it?"

"No, Raymund," the older brother corrected. "I told you, drinking is perfectly fine with me if you do not make a habit out of it."

"I'm not making a habit out of it," said the younger Caine, defending himself. He then went to open a cabinet and took out a bottle of scotch and a drinking glass, all the while saying, "It's a part of my life now…wanna glass?"

Seconds later, Raymund laughed hysterically, seeing the confused and outraged look on his older brother's face.

"Oh, that's right," Raymund realized. "You don't drink. Always the good example, aren't'cha, big brother?"

"I'm trying to help you, Ray—"

"I know you are," Raymund interrupted him, taking a drink of his scotch, sending an intense heat running down his throat. "Getting sick of it, actually."

Horatio let out a frustrated sigh and said, "Don't be like this, Raymund."

"Be like what, Horatio?" snapped Raymund, sounding offended by his brother's statement. "Me? You don't like who I am?"

"I didn't say that, Raymund," Horatio said, as calm as ever. "This isn't who you are."

"You don't like the way I turned out, is that it?" asked the younger demandingly, finishing his glass. "You think I'm not good enough for you as a brother? Well, I'm sorry…not everybody can be like you, Horatio."

"That's not what I meant, Raymund," replied Horatio, preventing himself from getting irate of his brother's comments. He didn't know what to do with him. He was having one of those headaches again and he had to finish this conversation before things got too far. "Stop it. You're acting like our father…"

"So what if I am?" Raymund shot back. He refilled his glass and raised it in salutation. "Aren't you glad that I've finally inherited something from our old man?"

"Raymund Caine," said Horatio in a warning tone, leaning on the table with both hands and giving his younger brother a look. He was angry and he need not to be pushed any farther, or circumstances might change from bad to worse. "You have been neglecting your family. You have been abusing Yelina and you are drowning yourself with alcohol. You're not acting like him, you're BECOMING like him!"

"I know…" smiled Raymund, and drunk the whole glass. "…isn't it such a good thing?"

"That's the alcohol talking, Raymund, not you," Horatio said, letting his anger subside.

"No, Horatio, it's me that's talking!" Raymund said through gritted teeth as he got up and got into his brother's face. "You just can't face the fucking truth that I didn't end the way you wanted me to be…like you…"

"I don't want you to become anything, Raymund," said Horatio as he stood his ground, not letting the younger take over. "I just want you to be yourself."

"You don't get it, do you, Horatio?" said Raymund, glaring at the redhead's eyes as he took a step forward. Their hair color widely in contrast. "This IS me. This is who I am. Get that through your thick skull! You can't accept the fact that…I turned out like our damn father, when you've tried so desperately to do otherwise."

Horatio fell silent, speechless. He didn't know what to say next. He didn't know how to counter that statement.

Raymund smirked triumphantly, seeing his big brother like this, stunned to silence. He wanted to savor the moment but he also wanted to continue. He wanted to hurt him a lot deeper…inside.

"I…I don't know what—"

"Don't try to lie to me, Horatio," said the younger, his smirk still in place. "You were never really good at it."

The younger Caine paced around his brother, watching every reaction he did through the words he was throwing at him mercilessly. "All your life, you've been trying so hard to be perfect—the 'Angel' to everybody. You stuck by your own principles and you hung on to morals, courtesy and respect…the things our old man never did, or better yet, never bothered to do…or even try."

Raymund looked up and saw his brother gazing at the floor. He had broken into him, entering his brother's fragile mind and soul…and he was enjoying every second of this, even in his drunken state. He assumed his position in front of Horatio, feeling totally in control over their little 'Heart to Heart'…for the first time in his life, and his brother's.

"Don't think that I can't see it, Horatio," Raymund spoke, smelling the scotch he had recently drank. "I know the one thing you fear most in life…our father…"

The 28 year-old Raymund Caine gave a sinister smile and brought his lips beside his big brother's ear, whispering in a tone of voice that would make your blood pressure drop, "You're afraid that you're gonna turn out just…like…him…"

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Horatio?" she whispered, brushing rickety fingertips down cheeks sopping with cold sweat.

Calleigh Duquesne woke up to find a mumbling Horatio, lying next to her. He looked distressed and the dream he was having was causing all of it, for the time being. She had to wake him up.

"Horatio," she repeated. "Horatio."

Calleigh kept shaking him, this time on the shoulder and ignoring the stinging sensation that she was feeling while doing so. Another shake and Horatio's head shifted to the other side. She heard a faint groan.

Horatio drifted groggily for awhile before opening his eyes to the complete inadequate source of light. That was fine for a moment until he recalled his last few seconds of consciousness and immediately defined the lack of light as aggressive.

After sitting up much too quickly, he plunged back down to his right side and felt nauseated. He became conscious of his body throbbing. His eyes slowly fluttered open and albeit his line of vision is as blurry as ever, he could make out a bright yellow color. And his nose filled with the scent of vanilla.

"Hey, handsome," said Calleigh, her visage finally coming into view.

Horatio strained to see, feeling his head fumble about its way through a sickly sweet and much unasked for headache. Images of the last thing he remembered seeing flooded his mind—a bunch of officers, his CSIs, Rick Stetler…all vanishing as his body finally couldn't handle the constant abuse and just gave way.

"Horatio…"

"Cal—AHH!" he gasped as he tried to get up again. He had the urge to touch her face, wanting to feel the warmth of her skin. His own scream engulfed him, instantly echoing wherever they were. The room was small.

Raising trembling hands to wipe sweat off his face, Horatio hastily pulled them back when he, all of the sudden, felt incredible pain wrap around his wrists. His fingers came across sticky residue and, what seem to be, crusts of dried blood.

"Take it easy, handsome," said Calleigh softly.

"Your…your hands," said Horatio in-between intakes of breath, catching a glimpse as she leaned towards him.

"Yeah," she told him sadly. "Yours too."

With the help of Calleigh, Horatio slowly sat up. He gazed down as he filled his lungs with much needed air, in the process, seeing her hands tightly wrapped by rope. And so was his. He clenched his teeth, feeling the ropes go deeper into his already wounded wrists, even with little movement. Fresh blood streamed down to his palm as the rope abraded against his skin. He shifted and soon found out that his feet were bounded too.

"Calleigh," he groaned, taking his time lifting his head and feeling the strain in his neck. "He didn't hurt you…"

It didn't sound like a question. It was like he already knew. 'He didn't hurt you,' echoed in Calleigh's mind. 'He…not they…'

As perplexed as she was by Horatio's words, she carefully set them aside along with everything else for later. He was so drained at the moment that he could barely get a word out. Whatever energy he had left, he needed it for things other than answering her questions.

"Don't worry, Horatio, he didn't hurt me," Calleigh declared, giving him a small, and yet, comforting smile. "He DID steal my gun and cell phone, AND tied us up…the big cheat."

Horatio tried to smile but failed despondently with the attempt. He held himself for getting Calleigh involved but, a part of him was glad that he had her by his side, even in a situation like this.

"I'm sorry, Calleigh," said the redhead weakly. "I'm sorry for getting you into this mess…"

Not allowing Horatio to go any further with his apology, Calleigh said, "No, Horatio, I messed up. I didn't do anything when he walked in the room and I COULDN'T do anything when he pulled a gun out. We're just lucky that he didn't take Alexx too."

Horatio brought up his arms and placed his joined wrists over his head, blocking his countenance. His face was distorted with anger and anguish. He should have told them about what had been happening to him for the past few days, with how his father had been abusing him and making his life a lot similar to hell. Now, regret was the only thing that he was feeling and it didn't do anything to help his emotions settle. Feeling the same effects of utter liability, he said unknowingly, "I'm such an idiot…"

"Don't say that, Horatio," she said softly, placing both her hands on his. "I'm sure we can get through this…besides…I have you…"

The red-haired man lifted his head until the two of them were eye to eye. Having the sense his cheeks were turning red, he looked away. The feeling that he was having made him let out a small smile. He hung his head to hide it and in a soft voice, said to her, "Thank you…"

She withdrew her coupled hands and did something between a pout and a sigh. "Don't thank me yet, handsome. I haven't figured out where we are. He bound and gagged me when he drove around. I think it's been over two hours since he locked us in here and I have no idea where here is."

Calleigh always mentioned their captor, Samuel Caine, as "he." She wasn't even sure if Horatio knew who she was talking about. "He" could be any one. The man she was watching now was still unconscious when they were taken from the hospital so she had no idea if he knew. She wouldn't say anything now. He might have a hard time accepting it if he knew that it was his uncle that took and locked them here. She wouldn't mention his uncle until it was completely necessary and now wasn't the time. She didn't want to prod answers from him, especially in his current condition. She only thought that it was a guess, but Horatio's earlier words were convincing her otherwise.

Horatio twisted his head as he examined the room where they were held captive. He was careful not to move his neck and shoulder area too much. The room look somewhat recognizable, as if he had seen it somewhere before. Its walls were not made from cement or bricks but from stone—like a chamber in a castle. Another turn and his eyes roamed to huge double doors that—not surprisingly—were chained shut.

At the opposite corner, he saw a smaller one and hoped that it wasn't their only means of escape. His dead beat eyes came across an aged cross, which he gazed up for quite some time. His eyebrows creased.

A dim glow came from small square windows that were too high to reach and that provided little to no light, darkness mostly took hold of the area. There wasn't anything in the room that seemed out of the ordinary, so he closed his eyes and listened. He heeded nothing. That wasn't shocking. He tip his head back a bit, chin raised and sniffed. After a while, he caught scent of freshly mowed grass and something else.

'Wax?' Horatio thought. He smelled the aroma of lit candles and some odd oil of sorts.

A cold breeze came from under the bolted door and Horatio couldn't hold back a quiver. He was exposed uncovered from the waist up and he tried his best not to let Calleigh detect that he was shaking. He listened again with his eyes closed and heard only the gust of wind howling outside. He had a gut-feeling that he knew where they were but can't seem to place exactly where.

Dead silence took over for a few minutes then the answer radically lit up in his head.

"Holy redeemer…"

"Huh?" Calleigh said, not hearing him clearly. "You say somethin', handsome?"

"Holy Redeemer…" Horatio reiterated feebly. "I think…we're in Saint Laurence's Cathedral…right next to Holy Redeemer Cemetery."

Calleigh blinked. She sought to ask how he came up with a conclusion like that but didn't go through with it, deciding that she would just trust him and his gut-feeling. It was creepy, well, for her anyway, that they were locked up in a church. Ever since she turned 13, God was nothing but false—a nuisance more frankly—to her. And now, she was in His house…next to the churchyard.

'Closer to our graves…' she thought hauntingly, feeling a slight surge of panic bubble inside her. She then asked, "Where in the church…exactly?"

"I…" Horatio said his voice as soft as it could ever be. "…I don't know."

"Okay, um…" said Calleigh, thinking of a way to get the hopeless atmosphere out of the room. "Now we know where we are, the only problem left to solve is…" She raised her hands. "…we need to get these restraints off."

Horatio, this time, kept quiet. He just gazed at the ground, his head hanging, apparently deep in thought.

Calleigh watched him, sadness showing everywhere. He was naked waist-up, except for the black slacks he had been wearing earlier this morning, and his lean body was racked with quiet shivering, every rib visible, as well as every scar. His head was slumped forward and his arms hung limply at his sides with his hands in front of him, tightly wrapped together. The blood smears across his back appeared desiccated and rusty in color so she was confident that his back was in no more shoddier shape than it had been before.

The rest of him seemed moderately all right, except for some bruising on the back of his neck, his shoulders and chest region, which had happened when he got all those other injuries.

The southern shuddered, forcing her concentration to redirect, away from the man's obviously staid physical condition to the more pressing dilemma of how to get the ropes off their wrists and ankles. A visualization of something razor-sharp, something with an edge sprung into her mind, fraught for optimism, but a speedy visual assessment of the room revealed nothing handy.

"How are we going to do this?" Horatio said, shifting just enough to look at her face properly. His body disagreed to the movement and received constricting ripples of anguish. He bit back the cry of pain.

"Be still!" Calleigh gasped. "It's okay, you don't have to move. You're in too much pain."

"Let me…rephrase," he tried again, licking his arid lips. "How the hell are we going to do this?"

"I-I'm sorry, Horatio," Calleigh stuttered. "I can't think of anything…there's nothing in this room that can help us."

She heard him mumble something but couldn't quite make out what, so she asked, "What is it, Horatio?"

"My back…"

"Your back?" she got worried. "Does it hurt?"

"Calleigh," Horatio said with heavy exhalation. "I want you to do something for me…"

"What?" she asked, feeling a drastic change in atmosphere.

"I…I want you to pull something," he said softly and feebly, with uncertainty in his voice. "I want you to pull something out of me."

"W-what are you talking about, Horatio?" she told him, nervousness running up and down her body. "What do you mean 'pull somethin' out of you'?"

"Listen to me," Horatio said, speaking in the instant that the answer occurred to him. "Here's what I want you to do. In order to get these off, I need you to pull something out of me. I want you to pull a piece of glass off my back—just big enough to be able to cut through these ropes."

"What?!" Calleigh gasped, horrified by what he just said. "You can't be ser—"

"I am, Calleigh," he interrupted her. "I am."

"No, Horatio," she answered back sharply, not believing that he would say something that ghastly. "You've already bled badly as it is. I won't do it. There has to be another way. If I pull 'em off, I might get you in a worse condition."

"You don't understand," Horatio said, sounding out of breath and trying to convince her to do what was needed to be done. "It's the only way. This…is the only way…"

"No, there's—"

"Please, Calleigh," he said pleadingly which took her by surprise, squeezing his eyes shut. "Just do it. Get it over with. Trust me, I'll be fine, just…trust me."

"But you'll be more pain!" Calleigh protested.

"That's the point!" he said, startling her with his sudden change of disposition. "That's the whole point. He wants to hurt me. He wants to see me in pain. And the only way for us escape is by doing just that, making me suffer. Otherwise…we die."

An icy quake riddled Calleigh's spine. "You know who's behind this, don't you?"

Horatio became quiet, staring at his bloody wrists. He didn't answer her back.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

He shook his head, refusing to look at her. "I don't ever want to talk about it."

Calleigh bit his lip. She wasn't going to push him to talk, not now; it would be the obvious excuse to delay the inevitable. Her attention was brought back to the horrendous request. She tried again and declined.

"He needs to be entertained, Calleigh," Horatio explained to her. "That's how it is with him…"

"You're not even sure if he's watching us…" Calleigh said.

"You've been…" Horatio slurred as he felt a stinging sensation in his temple and a sharp pain on his side. "Inch a little to your left…you've been blocking the camera…"

Horatio lowered his head again, having a hard time breathing while Calleigh spun around hysterically, looking for the said camera. Her head turned from left to right, back and forth, but still saw nothing that looked like such a thing. She gaped at Horatio.

"What are you talking about, there's no—"

"Northeast, approximately 90 degrees," Horatio interjected quickly, not looking up but rather just closed his eyes, concentrating on ignoring the pain he was experiencing.

Calleigh followed the directions given and ended up staring at a cross, hanging at the not so far corner of the room. It appeared ancient and brittle. The cross…the only thing—admittedly—she deliberately neglected to lay her eyes on.

"I still don't see—"

"It's an MSC," he alleged, wincing because of the throbbing in his head. His back was straining because of his sitting position; shoulders drooping, becoming aware that it felt heavier than before. "A Mini-Surveillance Cam. It's posted on the cross, hidden carefully by the shadows. The blinking light…is covered by electric tape. Just look straight at it…you'll eventually see something…"

"Oh my god…" she let out as she gazed once more. She saw it, a glint bouncing off the lens. Horatio was right. The MSC was mounted on the old cross, aim settled with exact precision. Hastily, she turned her back…to whoever was watching and concentrated at someone who's more important…Horatio.

Horatio's face had faded to a very chilling shade of gray and a muscle was twitching on his cheek.

Swallowing her anger down her throat towards the man responsible for this, Calleigh inched her way behind Horatio to get a full look of his back. She remained calm as she saw again the gruesome sight before her. Angrily, she brushed the tears that were making its way down her soft cheeks and trailed her eyes up and down the length of his back, assessing the damage.

She nodded decisively and contemplated. She then pressed in as close as she could without brushing against him. She took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry…for making you do this," he said, just about when she got ready.

She closed her eyes and let the air exit her mouth slowly. She opened her eyes again and said, "Is this really what you want?"

"Yes, ma'am…"

"Stay still," she warned him as she fixed her angle. "Are you ready?"

"Yes…" he whispered in reply, a sort of indistinguishable smile distinct on his face. Then, he thought, '…give me pain…'

"Exhale for me, Horatio," she said, thinking on how to do this without causing him too much pain.

Horatio obeyed and let the air pass smoothly through his lips, his back descending.

"Let me know if you're in too much pain, okay?" she beseeched, touching his back lightly. She heard him answer and let her fingertips brush against the first glass she was going to remove from Horatio's flesh.

Calleigh was relatively used to the display of mangled flesh and a definite amount of blood but usually, they had the courtesy to be part of a dead body or someone who's already not breathing, not the other way around. 'This is not gonna be easy…' she thought.

Creases of dried blood that had crusted over broke away and fresh blood started to ooze freely, making it almost impossible for her to see how she was able to remove it. Her fingers got sticky and she swallowed down tightly, disregarding the queasiness that she, by now, felt forming in her throat. She cursed under her breath. The damn restraints were making her task all the more difficult. Teasing and wiggling, feeling the agonizing cringe that she knew Horatio was trying hard not to show. She had to pause time and time again to wipe the blood off using her sleeve.

Eventually, she became aware of Horatio's body constricting. She was about to discontinue when she heard him say 'don't stop.' His struggling voice broke her to pieces and she fought a tough battle to stop herself from breaking down. She was causing him a great deal of pain and never did she even think that she was capable of doing something so wrong.

An overwhelming necessity to witness what the rest of the camera as seeing, stealing a look from Horatio's face slithered in her mind. Calleigh knew it was a mistake but she went ahead and did it anyway—immediately regretting the decision.

Hushed tears were streaming down his cheeks and dripped to his palm, mixing with the blood that seeped from his wrists. Horatio was unaware of her glimpsing a look at him. His expression was unfathomable but she had the feeling that the emptiness in his eyes hid something that is likely to be filled with pain and sorrow.

Without uttering a single syllable, Calleigh bent her head back over to her delicate task of extracting. 'So far so good,' she relieved herself. No serious tendon, muscle, and tissue had appeared and the major arteries were obviously not severed or he would have died by now because of the bleeding.

"I think this will have to do," she said, not wanting to extract anything anymore. The piece of glass was sharp and sturdy enough to cut the ropes off. It seemed a sixty-forty chance that it was going to break which was good enough for her. She moved beside Horatio, whose eyes were about to falter because of the exhaustion and soreness. "Stay with me, Horatio. Open your eyes."

"Hmm," Horatio responded and opened his eyes, revealing a ghostly shade of blue. He slightly leaned on Calleigh's shoulder for support, so as to not end up on the cold stone floor again.

"I'm going to start cuttin', okay?" she told him.

"Not…okay," Horatio mumbled just before she was about to start. He straightened himself a bit and took hold of the blood covered piece of glass with his thumb and index finger. "After you…"

"No, Horatio," she said, not letting go of what she was holding. "Why—"

"Ladies first…" said Horatio with raised eyebrows, showing a boyish victorious smile. Calleigh shook her head while rolling her eyes and handed the pieces of glass in. He accepted it with both hands and said, "Now…let's do this."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

"What did you guys find?" asked Speed as Delko and Wolfe finally finished processing the crime scene.

"Blood," was the first thing that came out of Delko's mouth. "Hairs—all red—fibers…"

"There was something else though," said Wolfe, putting his field kit in Hummer H2. He removed his gloves and crossed his arms and said, "In front of the closet door were small amounts of soil. It may lead us to the suspect's hide-out."

"And, uh…you should take a look at these," said Eric, handing Speedle the camera.

Tim Speedle took the camera and looked at the images saved. He kept pressing the button to see the next picture until one in particular caught his attention. "The door's almost busted. It looks like it's gonna go down."

"That's from the outside," said Eric, pressing the button. "Look at it from the interior."

The moment he saw the next image, Speed understood what Eric meant. The door was bashed from the inside. The cracks were going out and there were splinters all over the place. "Someone was trying to bust out of the closet."

"Yeah, namely, H," Eric said. He anticipated the cynic's look and took out several evidence bags. He began to explain. "We found H's watch inside. It's broken."

"And that's not all," Ryan spoke, taking one from the evidence. "We found H's cell phone—no batteries—in the sofa, tucked in-between and covered by throw pillows. And…" He found what he was looking for and handed it to Speed. "It's a good thing we checked that closet. We found a lot of things on our way out."

"These are H's sunglasses," said Speed, holding up the evidence bag at face-length, jumbling the contents inside. "Well…what's left of it, more like."

"What's he doing?" Wolfe asked, watching something at the far end.

"Gathering a small army," Speed answered, unconcerned, still examining some of the evidence gathered while Delko and Wolfe walked towards the flooding colors of squad cars and police officers.

IAB Agent Sergeant Rick Stetler waited for all of them to file in. He knew the role he had to play and he had to execute it with perfection. He had already made a mistake and he will not make any more. He was IAB, but in this kind of scenario, the Feds were in charge. He made his move and called every squad car that was available. He hadn't waited for the FBI. He had no time to waste and the FBI were bound to do just that. Besides, he was happy that the Feds hadn't shown their faces yet. If so, he and Horatio's CSIs would, without a doubt, end up waiting by the sidelines like obedient dogs. He would have none of that. Time was running out.

Standing in front of numerous police officers and dozens of police cars, Rick Stetler cleared his throat. "Officers…we have a situation that's of utmost importance—like any other—so I suggest all of you should listen carefully." He moistened his lips. "Two of our own were taken earlier this morning and are nowhere to be found. Lieutenant Horatio Caine and CSI Calleigh Duquesne have been missing for over four hours now and I will not wait until it's too late to find them. They need our help before time runs out and before their captor makes the mistake of his life… by killing them."

Stetler stopped for a moment, looking at the faces of the uniformed individuals before him, as determined and serious. He continued. "People, pay attention, this is top priority and I will not tolerate worthlessness or mistakes. Do so, and you can kiss your jobs good-bye. Do I make myself clear?" He didn't wait for their answers. "The only thing we need to do is to find this man." He revealed a photograph and held it up high so that everyone could see. "We are dealing with a man named Marc Anthony Caine also known as Samuel Caine—late 60's, dark red hair, about 6 feet…We find him, we find Horatio and Calleigh."

Murmurs and surprised looks occupied the officers' faces. Apparently, hearing the name "Caine" but not indicating the Lieutenant raised more than a couple of eyebrows. Everybody exchanged glances; all the while Stetler ignored their reactions.

"I want this search and rescue to be dealt with swiftly and you all know that I have no need and time for those who are incompetent," Stetler stated, strong-mindedness etched on his countenance. "Everybody, stay alert…be vigilant, and most of all…be careful."

Stetler saw the nods and heard their affirmation as he strode to the other direction, planning what to do next. He had gone by two individuals.

"You shouldn't have given that order."

"YOU should've processed the crime scene faster," retorted Stetler, still walking. "WITHOUT missing a piece of evidence."

"You DO know that the Feds are gonna be pissed, right?" asked Wolfe as the two of them followed the IAB Agent.

"I'm not sure, but I know I am," Stetler said with a mocking tone. "I know the Feds act slowly and I don't want any of that. Two lives are at stake."

"Yeah, like we don't know," replied Delko as equally as sarcastic. "It's damn protocol."

"Fuck protocol…"

…………………………………………………………………………………

After awhile, Calleigh finally had the restraints taken off her. She rubbed her wrists gently and did the same with her ankles. She felt relieved and she could move freely now. She waited for the blood to properly circulate to her hands and feet. "Thanks, Horatio. Your turn…just try and relax for me."

With a small curved smile, Horatio hung his head and extended his arms to Calleigh, offering his wrapped wrists. She was surprised at seeing him get relaxed so quickly, making it easy for the both of them. She examined the roped and knew that her aching hands wouldn't be able to untie the ropes without even managing to grasp it so she took the piece of glass and began cutting. She grinded it back and forth roughly against the bondage. As long as he kept perfectly still, most of the pain was bearable. His breath slowed, his heart rate steadied, and he sat quietly, patiently waiting to be freed from his current burden.

"Could you tell me something, Horatio?"

He opened his eyes but stared blankly at nothing. The voice that he heard noted a hint of the obvious wanting of the truth; not lies. His body got edgy and he felt his heart beat quicken its pace.

"Anything…" was the only thing he could say.

"What were you dreamin' about earlier?" she asked and made eye contact. She eventually dropped her gaze. "I know it's none of my business but I got worried and…that's why I woke you up. You looked so troubled and you were mumblin'—"

"We had a fight," Horatio answered before becoming aware of it. It wasn't the question he had expected but he preferred it rather than what he had anticipated. He caught the look on Calleigh's face. "…My brother, Raymund and I…we had a fight."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said, somewhat shocked. She knew that Horatio had been haunted by the death of his brother, but in his dreams too?

It was almost a year ago and still, it kept on going. That had to be hard to deal with, especially with a man as broken as Horatio. He endured his brother's death twice. First, when he thought that he was shot to death but eventually, after 3 years, he found out that it was no more than a hoax, and then, in Brazil, when he was beaten to a bloody pulp by the man who had also murdered his wife, Marisol. This time, Raymund really was dead. Even she admitted that she couldn't live any longer with a life like that. She always wondered where he gets the strength to move forward when so many things kept pulling him back.

"Raymund and I had a fight…and at that time…things didn't end so well…for the both of us," Horatio continued in a hoarse voice, sadness filling his eyes. "He was drunk and said some…things that were too hard to bear. We didn't talk for a long time. And the next thing I knew, Raymund joined the Narcotics Division, then…that was that…"

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's okay," muttered Horatio. "Curiosity isn't a bad thing."

She gave him a consoling smile and went back to work.

Having the job as a CSI required tenacity, hard work, a positive attitude, dedication, discipline, and, on top of that, a truck-load of patience, in which Calleigh possessed an almost immeasurable supply of all of the above. Time took its toll and, finally, the redhead's hands slid lifelessly apart. Gently, she picked up his hands and supported it carefully, feeling its cold sensation.

"Are you alright, Horatio?"

"I think…" he said softly, having trouble keeping his eyes open. "…I'm passing out…"

"It's okay," she said, understanding. "I'll just finish up while you rest. Don't leave me hangin' for too long, promise?"

"Yes…ma'am…" he slurred, his head slumping on her shoulder. His eyelids dropped down all the way and his visage finally looked relaxed. He slept soundly with his mouth slightly open.

Calleigh supported his head as she gently settled him on the floor, his chest rising and falling. She felt the temptation of just sitting there and watch him sleep peacefully. She shook her head and focused her attention on her work and on the wounds that needed tending. She took the piece of glass that they had used earlier and directed it to her shoulder. With one swift move, she slashed it, hearing the ripping of the cloth. Now she had something to work with.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

"What the hell…?" Eric let out in disbelief, eyes fixed on the 6'2" brunette.

"Oh-kaay…" Ryan said, letting the words he'd heard jumble in his head. He looked at Stetler skeptically. "Who are you and what have you done to the arrogant IAB Agent who hates my boss' guts and who wants nothing more than to take his job as Lieutenant?"

"Not funny, Wolfe," Stetler said while pressing keys on his cell phone.

"I don't find it funny either," Ryan told him. The atmosphere abruptly changed with his tone of voice. "Care to explain why?"

"Explain what, Wolfe?" Stetler looking up from his cell phone, irritated.

"Well, for starters, why are you here?"

"And what the hell does that suppose to mean?" Stetler shot, upset by the remark.

"Usually, it's the CSIs who deal with situations like these and never in history that IAB would appear BEFORE everything's done. And, in this case, actually HELP in the process," Eric responded quickly, putting great emphasis on certain words he said.

"I don't have to explain everything, especially to the two of you," Stetler said, sounding more than upset. He started to walk away. "It's none of your damn business…"

"Hell, yeah, it's our business," Eric stated, grabbing the sergeant's sleeve and turning him around. "Calleigh and Horatio are in danger. That's my friend and brother-in-law!"

"Look," Stetler said, giving him a stabbing look. "I'm just doing my fucking job, don't you get that?"

"No, it's the damn FBIs job, not yours," Eric shot back.

Stetler look went to overkill and then turned around, resuming his pace. He came to a halt when he heard Wolfe say, "You fucking hypocrite…"

Stetler looked sideways. "What did you say?"

Before repeating what he said, he got into the agent's face first. "I said you're a fucking hypocrite."

"You watch that mouth of yours, Wolfe, before I—"

"You don't care about Horatio OR Calleigh," Ryan spat, losing his cool completely. "The only reason why you're wasting your ass out here is that you only care about your damn self. You want to get the Lieutenant's job. It was never about rescuing Horatio and Calleigh. You saw the opportunity and you took it. You wanted to show everybody that you can handle the Lieutenant's job, no problem. That YOU'RE supposed to be the Lieutenant, not H. You want to prove them wrong."

"It's nothing like that, Wolfe," Stetler said, surprised at the young CSI's sudden change.

"You know that's a load of crap," said Ryan through gritted teeth. "Either you tell us why you're really here or I'll do everybody a big favor and drag your ass out of the scene."

Eric watched them, eyes fixed on the other. He was taken aback by his friend's sudden expression of rage, with how he was all harsh and intimidating. He was ready to pull them apart if a fight would ensue, or…help Ryan and punch the sergeant's teeth out…whichever made him feel better.

"I owe him…"

"What?" the two CSIs said in unison.

"I owe Horatio," Stetler reiterated.

"Owe him what?" Eric said, an eyebrow raised.

"I just owe him something…from the past," said Stetler, reluctant in giving them a decent answer.

"Something that happened between you and Horatio a long time ago, is that it?" questioned Ryan, his mood back to normal again.

"Exactly, so get off my back," Stetler remarked and stomped away.

"So, he thought that this was a chance to pay off his debt to H?" spoke Eric.

"Yeah," said Ryan, watching Stetler go smaller and smaller as he kept walking. "He feels obligated. But, what happened between him and H? He mentioned something from the past."

"No idea," Eric replied. "Must be from before I worked with H. What do you think he owed him?"

"Let's go find out…"

………………………………………………………………………………………

Just as he promised, Horatio woke up after resting for a short period of time. His eyes fluttered open and, once again, he waited for his vision to become clear. His lips curved at the southern blond looking down at him, smiling back one of her signature smiles.

"Hey, sleepy head," Calleigh asked flippantly. "How are'ya feelin'?"

"Excellent…" he mumbled, after taking some time to think.

"Don't lie to me, mister," she warned him. "Be honest."

"Okay," he said, smiling at her persistence. "I feel like I want to die…"

Calleigh stared at him. "That's not funny, Horatio."

He chuckled dryly. "Sorry," he said awkwardly. "Well, I feel…good. What did you do?"

Calleigh revealed a sheepish grin, glad that what she did helped. "I relaxed your muscles for you. You were so tense. And I took care of your wounds."

Horatio realized that he could move his legs freely now. He then brought up his hands and saw that they were wrapped with a familiar cloth, protecting it from further harm. He looked at Calleigh. He saw her sleeves. They were torn off.

"Cal…" he said. "…you shouldn't have."

"It's nothin', handsome," she said. Her sleeves gone from the arm down. "I couldn't let your wrists get more damaged and remain unprotected."

Horatio contemplated on that, looking somewhat touched by all that had happened. "Can I sit up?"

"Sure," said Calleigh, helping him raise his head and upper body slowly and gently, giving him her utmost care. "There."

"Cal, thank you," Horatio said, placing his hand on hers affectionately. "For doing all of this for me…" He sighed. "If it weren't for this current situation of ours…"

"You can thank me, Horatio," she said, leaning closer, "by telling me the truth. You apparently know who's in the wake of all this and possibly know what to look forward to next. I need information, Horatio."

"No…you don't…" he said firmly and retracted his hand. He gazed away, not wanting to look at her.

"Don't give me that," she said, not taking no for an answer. "Horatio, we have been stuck here, for—God knows what—and I am getting restless. I need to know what you know. I need to know what to expect next. I will not wait here until he shows himself and starts doing something—terrible!" She filled her lungs with much needed air and tried to calm herself down. She was glad that the MSC had no built-in microphone, or else she might've given the creep what he wanted.

"Horatio, please, listen to me," she said, her voice softer this time. She caressed his cheek and turned it gently so that he faced her. "I know this is hard for you…it's hard for the both of us, but I need to get into the loop, okay? I need to know who are we really dealing with, understand?"

"I…understand…" Horatio finally agreed to what she wanted. She took his hand and squeezed in tenderly, thankful that he granted her request. He lowered his head. "His name is Marc Anthony Caine…he's my father…"

"WHAT?!" Calleigh was more than stunned. She was knee-deep in bewilderment. "Father? Don't you mean uncle? Your uncle Samuel?"

"No, Calleigh, he's not my uncle, he's my father," he said, swallowing down the fear that was welling up again. "His name is Marc. He's twisted and relentless and will do nothing more than to make my life look more awful than hell. The reason he did this was for pleasure, so as long as we keep him satisfied, he won't show his face."

"What? If he makes hell look like coconut Fred's fruit Salad Island next to what you've been going through then I'd be more than happy to bury my fist on that face of his as a little token of our appreciation for all his hard work," she swore, cracking her knuckles.

"As much as I would benefit from seeing that," Horatio smiled. "I think staying put is the best option we have. It's up to the team to find us."

"What if they don't arrive in time? What will we do? Wait for them until they get here?" Calleigh questioned, testing him. "Don't forget, Horatio, you're badly injured. You need medical help. We should plan our next move in order to get out of here."

"How CAN we get out?" he said inanely, pulling up his legs to his chest and placing his arms over his knees.

"Through that door," she said, pointing at the smaller door to their left.

"You didn't…"

"I did," Calleigh told him. "I checked out the rest of the room while you were out cold, then I wanted to satisfy my curiosity and went for the door. I didn't open it entirely. I just turned the knob and pushed a little but shut it back again."

She then lowered her voice, kneeling in front of him. "The only thing we have to do know is get out of this room. It may be a trap but we won't know until we take action."

"No. I…I can't…" Horatio looked at her with his pale blue eyes. He sounded weak and frightened. It pained her to see her boss this way but she had to be tough and convince him otherwise. She will not let fear take hold of him any longer.

"Horatio, stop it," Calleigh rebuked. "I know that you've been through a rough time recently, and I know you're better than this, stronger. But it's like you've already given up!"

Horatio stared at her. She didn't know what kind of hell he'd been to; he couldn't blame her. He was so angry with himself, and he felt disgusted with the way he had been acting. Like the little child that had seen and endured too much over the past two decades, he was still giving his father the pleasure that he craved for. He dropped his gaze in shame.

_You're weak…_

He was still trembling inside as he imagined seeing his father's face again. A malevolent smile pasted on his features.

_You're a coward…_

He was hurting, pain shooting from every surface of his fatigued body. The ache that fogged his thoughts had given him nothing much to hope for.

_You can't do anything. You're too afraid to move. You've failed everyone, including yourself. And now…you're failing Calleigh, just like how you failed your mother…_

The voice taunted endlessly, poking into places that it shouldn't. Soon, the voice echoed the sound of his father, Marc Anthony, and then it was like a shape took form in front of him, bearing his old man's features, smirking.

_Look at you, you worthless piece of shit. You can't even take care of yourself, and you even brought your little girlfriend into this. If something happens, you'll know who to blame. You always do…_

He balled his hands into shaky fists as he clenched his teeth, overcoming the burning hatred that wanted to take over his mind and body. He didn't want his psyche to get more clouded, so he pushed away rueful thoughts and reflected on what was necessary.

"Calleigh, you're right," he said, his calm voice covering what he was truly feeling. "We need to get out and I need to get through this, but I'll need your help, alright?"

"No problem," she said, finally happy that his boss and close friend had listened t her. She couldn't help a smile.

She stood up first and extended a hand for Horatio to grab for support. It took a while, but he eventually stood on his feet. Only getting up, he was already panting. The pain on his ankle was far too intense. He staggered a bit and took a step forward. He miscalculated and almost hit the stone floor if it weren't for Calleigh who caught him just in time.

"Got'cha," she told him confidently as Horatio straightened up. "Tell you what, why don't you put your arm around my shoulders and lean on me for more support, how about that?"

"Sounds wonderful," muttered Horatio in a low voice, "especially the putting my arm around you part."

Horatio placed his arm around her shoulders and leaned on her a bit, while she wrapped one arm around his hips and took hold of his hand that was next to her face. "Let's go slow, nice and easy now." His steps were languid but still they made progress. He bent his knees carefully, making sure that it won't suddenly buckle as they paced. At last, inch after agonizing inch, they made it to the door with him limping. The only question was: will they go through it?

"Horatio," gestured Calleigh, giving him a look that said she wanted HIM to open the door.

He nodded and took a deep breath, placing his hand on the filthy door knob. "Okay…Here we go…"

Not even a second later, the door violently swung open. Calleigh let out a small yelp as she fell backwards and realized that she had knocked Horatio off his already shaky feet and sent him crashing to the unforgiving stone floor.

Horatio shouted in pain as his body, especially his head, bounced off the ground, reopening the cut on his right temple and producing a new gash that was just underneath his right eye. He felt his skin come apart and the warmth of the blood flooded down his face, adding a deeper shade of red. He swallowed hard, trying to overcome the vertigo that enveloped him, and through it, he watched as a dark figure loomed over a crumpled heap that was his body. He narrowed his heavy eyes, seeing red all over the setting, growing darker and darker.

He heard someone calling out his name in vain as he slowly let go of his grasp that connected him to reality. He stirred and felt a heavy weight overwhelming his chest, pushing the air further out of him. Nails dug into his flesh as he heard a sinister and malignant voice, saying…

"You will never…make it out alive…"

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

kiuna'yukina: Nii-chan…what're you doing?

Little Horatio: Oh, nothing that might catch your fancy.

kiuna'yukina: You're plotting something again, aren't you?

Little Horatio: You can say that. I had a little heart to heart with Horatio earlier and what he said got me thinking.

kiuna'yukina: And obviously planning. Wait…is that Sir Mark? (Looks down at the sketch)

Little Horatio: Yup…

kiuna'yukina: Oh my god! That's a gun! And blood!

Little Horatio: Shush!

(From afar…)

Calleigh: What are they doin'? (Eyeing Little Horatio and kiuna'yukina)

Horatio: Uh-oh…I think I've motivated Little Horatio in conspiring something devious.

Calleigh: You what?

Horatio: Maybe I should go help her…Little Horatio!

Calleigh: (watches Horatio run towards the two) …?


	18. Regret

Little Horatio: I gravely apologize for having to update so late. My life is one helluva joy ride right now. I'm really sorry!

Eric: (lifts an eyebrow) are you sure you weren't just slacking off?

Ryan: Yeah, admitting laziness isn't bad, it's just not good.

Little Horatio: Wow, that made a lot of sense.

Ryan: Thank you.

Little Horatio: (rolls eyes) you guys know the procedure. I don't own CSI: Miami—blah,blah,blah—and it's 1 in the morning already. (yawn) hope you guys like it. Enjoy!

Chapter 18: Regrets

"Timmy…"

"Alexx," Speedle said, his cell phone pressed to his ear, "Are you alright? Where are you now?"

"I just arrived at MDPD and I'm fine."

"Thank God," he sighed with relief, "you're safe."

"Well, yeah, but how about Horatio and Calleigh?"

"Just tell me what happened at the hospital, Alexx," Speed said, filled with anticipation.

"What happened?" Alexx repeated, looking at her cell phone and pulled it back to her ear as she walked through the parkade. "I found out who the bastard is, that's what happened!"

"Calm down, Alexx," said Speed, backing his cell a bit, away from his ear.

"Calm down?! Timmy, the bastard is Horatio's uncle!" Alexx went through the double doors of MDPD. "We were right about him."

"Uh…not exactly…" inserted Speed.

"What do you mean, honey?"

"Well…" He knew she wasn't going to like this but, "um…we think that the bastard you're talking about is H's dad."

"Excuse me?!" Alexx exclaimed, making people have their eyes on her. She lowered her voice. "What do you mean Horatio's father? Tim, the man's been dead before you learned how to talk. It can't be him."

"Not according to IAB Agent, Sergeant Pain-in-the-ass," Speed muttered.

"You're not serious, are you?"

"Yeah, Alexx, and that, according to him, the suspect's real name is Marc Anthony Caine, not 'Uncle Samuel,'" Speed said, making imaginary quotation marks up the air with his free hand.

"DNA confirmed that?" she said, entering the elevator.

"The thing is…" Speed massaged the back of his neck. "…the evidence and I are still at the crime scene. Stetler gathered one of his small armies again. Not a smart thing for him to do though. If the Feds hear about IAB upstaging them…let's just say, it's gonna be one hell of a fun ride."

"He seems pretty sure about what he's doing."

"Come on," Speed scoffed, "when has Stetler ever been sure about anything?"

"This morning," said Alexx as a matter of fact.

"What about this morning?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Long story, baby."

"Did something happen earlier today that I need to know about?" Speed questioned, wanting to be informed.

"Like I said, sugar, long story. I'll tell you everything when this is over and everyone is safe."

"Yeah, whatever," said Speed reluctantly. "I kind'a have to go anyway. Talk to you later."

"Okay, Timmy, but be careful. And get the bastard for me. This time, I'm going to conduct an autopsy using a LIVE specimen."

"Now, now, Alexx, there's no need for more motivation. I might do something I shouldn't," Speed stated. His said his goodbye once more and pressed END on his cell.

"Speedle sighed. "I feel so tempted…"

…………………………………………………………………………………………

His vision was awfully cloudy and red but he managed to make out a nasty smile that was etched on the older man's countenance as he struggled to breathe, immediately finding it immensely hard to do so.

The weight being pressed down on him was too much. He was already coughing, choking for a much needed air supply and tasting sweet blood in his mouth and lips. Everything was beginning to turn. He felt heavy, his entire body weakening and his eyes closing. But, he did not give in. Not taking it any longer, he held he little amount of air that was left in his lungs and whipped the hand that was on his chest off as forcefully as he could.

Caine was caught by surprise and staggered a little, but quickly reclaiming his position, kneeling next to the bloody mess that was Horatio.

"Got some fight left in you, huh, boy?" Marc smiled scornfully. He got up and yanked something out of his front pocket. "I'll take care of that."

Horatio heard a jingle that mixed with his moan and caught sight of a tiny glint of what the older man was holding. He heard him walk away, footsteps fading. The next thing that came to mind made him feel the sudden chill of dread.

He bit his teeth down hard and closed his eyes firmly; wanting to get the heavy and painful feeling out of his system, even for only a short while. He opened his eyes as her voice echoed in the room.

"Why are you doing this?"

Marc Anthony Caine, unfazed, dangled the handcuffs—Horatio's handcuffs—between his stubby fingers, showing them to the blond southern who had been scraped on the arm during the fall.

"You can't get away with this," Calleigh told him, staring straight at the older Caine's blue eyes that showed no weakness.

"You don't know that," Marc replied, walking towards her in a slow pace. He then pointed at Horatio who was silently writhing on the floor. "I've been beating that piece of shit senseless for the past three days so what makes you think that I can't get away with it?"

"You have me to deal with this time," Calleigh muttered, giving him an intense gaze of pure loathing. "I won't give you the luxury of getting away…"

'…especially unscathed,' she added in her thoughts.

Marc merely laughed. Actually, he laughed in amusement.

And it drained the only tinge of hope that Calleigh had left.

They were already face to face, with Calleigh looking up at the taller man. He smiled, revealing yellowing teeth and a smug look. He suddenly grabbed her closer to his body, enjoying the very sight he was seeing.

"You're a feisty one, aren't 'cha?"

"Leave her alone…"

Horatio groaned in an attempt to get up, coughing at the process. He was having a very difficult time breathing, feeling something about to rip every time he did. His hand wandered to the hot piercing sensation on his right side, above the ribs.

Marc frowned almost instantly and let go of Calleigh, pushing her away as she turned around. It took him only a few steps to reach the man that inherited his looks. He then bent his knees and leaned forward, saying in a daunting manner, "You say something, boy?"

Horatio took his time, feeling the cold surface of the stone floor trail over his body. He pressed his hands against the ground and pushed, lifting himself up, managing to achieve a kneeling position, all the while clutching his side, putting pressure on the ever worsening pain. He saw his own blood that dampened his black slacks shine in crimson and also the small puddle he had left on the floor. He sucked a lung-full of air before he lifted his throbbing head and sent his own chilling gaze at the man that is his flesh and blood.

"Leave…her…alone…"

A nasty look emerged from Marc's face as he straightened up and clenched his hands. He turned to Calleigh and threw something at her.

Out of pure instinctive reflexes, without becoming aware of it, Calleigh caught the restraints in mid-air. She gave their aggressor one of her looks that meant death in under 24 hours. "What? Too afraid that I might pull a fast one on 'ya?"

He didn't have time for her nonsense so he drew out a gun from behind and pointed it directly at her. "Either put' em on or I'll put a bullet through you."

"How charming," Calleigh said wickedly and walked off towards the corner, at the bolted double doors. There she defiantly put on the handcuffs; one around her hand and the other on the chain of the door, making a reasonable clinking sound.

Marc ignored her as he got back to the task at hand; destroying Horatio little by little. He had no time for other things and he had certainly no time for her at the moment. Maybe later, but not now.

"Touch her again… and I swear…I'll kill you," Horatio said through troubled breath.

Marc went down on one knee and chuckled, looking into the eyes filled with cold-blooded hate, their faces at level with each other. He reached out and cupped Horatio's chin, his hand feeling the sticky residue that was blood. He drew him closer.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" he said coldly, a smirk plastered on his face. "That's the only thing that kept you alive all these years…the need to kill…"

"Death…it's the only thing people like you deserve," answered Horatio viciously. He jerked his head, making the old man release his hold on him. It didn't do any good for the aches that he felt in his head and neck area, but he couldn't care less right now. Only one thing he knew he cared about; he didn't want to be touched.

Calleigh half expected Horatio to get hurt by what he just said and did, but, fortunately, nothing happened. Marc didn't seem angry, in fact, he looked disturbingly calm, which was…well, disturbing.

Marc observed Horatio's reaction, watching how he breathed, noticing every flinch that came uncalled for. He wanted to take his time; savor the moment. He wanted to execute what he had planned without any flaws, which meant slow, and excruciating torture for Horatio, overwhelming and irreplaceable satisfaction for him. He smiled at the thought.

"We think alike, Horatio, you and I," he said, seeing the younger's response; gaze from the floor to his face. Then he added rather casually. "Because…that's what I thought when it came to your mother."

"You bastard!!"

Horatio took a swing but was easily evaded; the attempt only caused him more pain. He gulped down a moan as he closed his eyes, trying to think of something that can block the pain. His hand went hastily to his right side while the other on the floor for support, maintaining his balance. His head drooped low from his shoulders as he panted heavily.

Marc laughed, watching as Horatio fought for air, totally disregarding the person that watched from the other side of the room. The only use for her was, he thought, to heighten Horatio's sow sweet torment which would be saved for later, perhaps. He kept his focus only at the man that held the family legacy, the man that inherited the Caine resemblance; pale skin, fiery red hair and deep blue eyes. It made him sick.

"It's true, because ever since she got married, I knew that she would just mess up the family," Marc continued on saying.

"You're wrong," said Horatio in-between breaths, lightly shaking his head and firming his hold on his side. "You were the one…who ruined the family."

"She was the cause of our pain and suffering—YOUR pain and suffering!" He was yelling now, wanting to embed the things he was saying to him deeper and deeper.

"No! You're the one who's responsible!" Horatio spat, his voice raised. "You did everything to make us miserable."

"I did what I had to do," Marc went on saying, as if not hearing what the other individual had said. He was now standing and pacing, waving his gun around. "It was for everybody's sake!"

"It was for your own damn sake NOT ours, and you sure as hell knew that," Horatio shot back, clenching his jaw. He was already fuming, sending sharp looks at the man he had grown to hate as the years past when he was a child. "You hated her. You took away every single thing—"

"Shut up!!"

Blinded by anger, Marc backhanded his younger mirror-image, sending blood flying across the room. His hand felt sore but he was able to regain control over the situation, and keep the other quiet. "Katherine…it was never supposed to end that way!!" He said more to himself.

"Look at me."

When Horatio didn't move, Marc grabbed a hand-full of damp red hair with his vacant hand and yanked the younger's head violently, giving him no choice but to do what he was told. Animosity kept building between them and one or the other was little by little losing control over their emotions, specifically anger.

"Look at me," Marc repeated firmly. "I loved your mother when I first laid my eyes on her. I knew that she was perfect. But everything went wrong. It didn't end my way. I couldn't do anything. I—"

"Killed her." The words oozed out of Horatio's mouth like lethal poison. "You didn't love her…that's why you killed her." Horatio said vindictively in a low voice, still feeling the heat on his cheeks spread and sting. He received the slap hard and thought that he was going to pass out. He couldn't shake the dizziness off completely.

"That's where you're wrong, Horatio," Marc said, letting go of his hair, his face grim and soaked with sweat. "I didn't kill her."

"Stop lying!!" Horatio shouted, feeling pressure on his chest. He felt tears forming in his eyes and he prevented them from dropping. The memory of his mother made things harder for him to bear. "Stop lying…"

"You're pathetic!" Marc went to his face. "You're worthless! You couldn't do anything right and you damn sure didn't use your fucking head!"

"You're wrong!!"

Calleigh shouted as loud as she could, pulling Marc's attention away from Horatio. She couldn't take it any more; a helpless onlooker, watching one of her closest friends get manipulated and assaulted. She pulled the handcuffs, wanting to go to Horatio's side, to protect him in any way that she could. She had to get the restraints off.

"You don't know what you're talking about," she said, wanting to get the bastard's attention focused on her. "Horatio is the exact opposite of what you're sayin'. You're not talkin' about him. You're talkin' about yourself—"

"Keep your mouth shut, I'm not talking to you!" Marc bellowed, pointing the gun at her and shaking it threateningly. He turned back to Horatio. "After all these years, you still haven't figured out what the truth really is. You're as clueless and naïve as before. You still don't—"

"Stop it," Horatio mumbled, his eyes already closed. If he could, he would've cupped his ears with his hands by now to muffle the shouts of anger, hate, and blame. It all came back to him, the picture of his fourteen year-old defenseless self coming back from the darkness that kept him in oblivion.

"Your mother kept feeding you lies."

"No…"

"She wanted you to be hurt."

"No…"

"She never loved you."

"That's not true," Horatio said like a child, shaking his head, eyes lowered. "She did love me…"

Calleigh's heart sank. She saw in Horatio that he couldn't handle it and what she dreaded came true. Horatio had already given up. He gave in to his father's deceit. She couldn't believe it. It all looked…wrong. She looked sideways and saw something that she hadn't seen earlier. She stretched her arm.

"If she loved you then why did she leave you?" Marc said, getting into his head deeper. He placed his hand on the other's shoulder.

"Because you killed her," he replied, looking hollow.

"No, Horatio," Marc smirked, "you did…"

………………………………………………………………………………………….

Rick Stetler didn't know what to do next. Cell phone in hand, he tightened his grip. He saw his reflection on the screen and scowled,

"You just had to tell them," he said to his reflection.

He had said to Delko and Wolfe why he had been so eager to help. They now know that he owed Horatio something, but, at least, they didn't know what. And, besides, he thought, that wasn't the only reason why he wanted to help. As hard as he tried, he couldn't convince himself to just tell them, Horatio's CSIs, the real reason. It was incredibly difficult to hide anything in their current condition. He had already exposed himself, giving out details that caused apprehensive looks.

At the very beginning, he had known that there was something wrong with the Lieutenant, and he was right. 1 point. Next, his doubts about "Uncle Samuel." He knew that there was something terribly familiar about him but he pushed it aside. And unfortunately, his doubts were correct. 2 points. Then, the closet. No need to explain that. 3 points.

He had known Horatio for a long, long time and likewise. It was way before MDPD and nobody knew about the two of them, just that they hated each other's guts. But it was more sophisticated then that. The two of them had been friends once. HAD BEEN. ONCE. Time just changed and people did too. There was no point in bringing everything back the way they previously were. And the two of them stuck to that.

He and Horatio never saw eye to eye with each other for many years and that's what people saw. Constant arguments and verbal competitions were to happen if the two of them got within 20 feet of each other. It was no wonder why people thought they hated one other and could never work together, not putting into mind that long ago they were, at one point, friends that hung out together. It was a secret they had, unsurprisingly, agreed that need not to be talked about or even mention. Only the two of them were to know in the whole of MDPD and no one else.

But now, Rick Stetler was wedged in a dilemma. He had his finger on speed dial and was now hesitating to press it. He knew that he had to call because they had the right to know, but a thought stuck to him. How would he be able to explain Horatio's current situation? He can't just say:

"_Hello, it's me, and by the way, Horatio's been kidnapped along with a fellow CSI and we have no idea where they are and where to find them."_

How subtle, he thought. He heaved a sigh and pocketed his cell phone, deciding that he should tell them after everything was over and thinking that they were going to kill him for NOT calling. He shrugged and lifted his chin. Seconds within eye contact, he started to walk forward to a gesturing Speedle who was standing next to Delko and Wolfe.

"We're going to the crime lab, seeing that we're done here," said Speed, lazy-eyed.

"What about the evidence?" asked Stetler.

"It's safe from harm's way," Ryan answered.

"Wait, let me take a look at it," Stetler said.

"That's not in your field, Stetler," said Eric.

Stetler ignored him and went straight for the evidence box, taking out its contents one by one.

"We have to get those to the crime lab!" Eric reacted to the Sergeant's actions.

"One minute," he said, still rummaging through the evidence.

"I can't believe this," muttered Wolfe, running a hand through his hair.

Stetler leaned back, carrying an evidence bag containing blood-stained ropes. He was about to open it when Speed stopped him, saying, "If you open that here, you'll contaminate the evidence!"

He wasn't entirely sure if he was right but he tore open the evidence bag anyway.

"Damn, Stetler!!"

"You smell that?" the sergeant said, his nose in the air.

"What?" Ryan exclaimed.

"I do," Eric replied, sniffing. "It smells like…"

"Wax?"

"Yeah, Speed, Wax," said Eric.

"This smell familiar to you guys?" questioned Speed.

"No," Delko and Wolfe said in unison.

"Yes." Stetler felt all eyes on him. "I know this scent…" He sniffed the evidence bag containing the rope. "Candles…I smelled it somewhere before."

"Where?" Ryan said immediately.

"The church…" muttered Stetler. "…the church with the cemetery, Holy Redeemer."

"Saint Laurence's Cathedral?" said Eric.

"I-I think so."

"Last time I saw H near that place was when the Mala Noches took over," Eric recalled.

Stetler remembered following Horatio in the cathedral. He was about to have a talk with him about the shooting in the cemetery when he saw him kneeling in front of the altar; head down. He then decided not to, watching the red head stand up and make his way to the confession booth, to profess his sins.

That must be where he was now.

"We need to go to that cathedral, now," Stetler told the three.

"You can't be sure—"

"I am," he cut in.

"What if you're wrong?" Ryan questioned.

"What if I'm not?" retorted the IAB Agent.

Nobody answered the question but instead, Speedle said, "Eric, tell the others." He got his keys out. "We're going to Saint Laurence's Cathedral…"

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Calleigh gasped silently as she heard the words flow out of Marc's mouth. What's he playing at, she thought. She felt the loose wire and began to twist in turn. If she could get even a short length of the wire, she could use it to pick the lock of her restraints. The problem is, first she needed time to get a piece of it, which, obviously, wasn't enough.

"W-what are you talking about?" stuttered a perplexed Horatio, leaning his head back an inch or so.

"Don't play dumb with me, boy," sneered Marc. "You were the one responsible for her death."

"No, it was you," Horatio shook his head. "You shot her. You killed my mother!"

"I admit, I did shoot her," he said, gripping Horatio's injured shoulder. "But I didn't kill her…"

Horatio's jaw tensed, his eyes narrowing, the soreness between his neck and shoulder scattering. Their faces were so close together that he could see himself in the old man's cold blue eyes. He could see his faces contorted in pain.

"You're right about one thing though, Katherine is dead—but not because of me…" He put more weight and dug down deep on Horatio's shoulder. "…it's all because of you."

The words kept ringing inside his head as he stared into nothingness, his face unfathomable. And not only Marc saw it, but Calleigh as well. She had to stop it.

"He's trickin' you, Horatio, don't listen to him."

Marc gazed at him. "Remember when you came into the kitchen and saw her lying there…motionless? There was a gun, wasn't there?"

"…And blood."

Everything changed when Horatio blinked. The moment he opened his eyes, the scene flashed before his eyes. He wasn't in a dark room anymore, but in a fully furnished living room. Nothing seems to have been altered. It was like the gloomy room dissolved around him and brought him back where he spent most of his childhood; at home.

He remembered the whole thing perfectly, the way it was many, many years ago. The same sofa, the same table lamps, the same curtains, everything, including the same photos displayed. There was even his old backpack that he usually placed by the door. It was like a dream, a fantasy that stuck to him. But, like all his dreams, something terribly bad will happen in no time. He was sure of it.

Horatio felt a bead of sweat run down from his forehead down to his jaw as he gulped down the knot that had form in his throat. He was getting near the kitchen. He could feel his heartbeat pounding in his ears, dread spreading like wildfire on his entire body. A few more steps then he could be in the kitchen, where they used to eat their meals as a family.

He suddenly felt heavy, like there was somebody pressing down on his shoulders. He looked around; no one in the Caine household but him. His feet began to weigh down too, like they didn't want to move anymore. He dragged himself, taking three final steps to the kitchen. He swallowed again.

His eyes widened, not believing what he was seeing. He opened his mouth, but nothing registered in his head that would let him say anything. He was gaping at a young teenage boy, about fourteen, standing in the middle of the bloody kitchen. The red hair and blue eyes made it unmistakable…it was him.

He scanned the room. He saw his father, lying on his stomach, face to the floor, surrounded with his own blood. He veered off. The next he saw made him fall into pieces. His mother, a bullet through the chest, her back against the floor, pale and drained of blood.

His eyes now affixed on his fourteen year-old self, staring at the ceiling, smiling. A single tear made it down his face as he muttered something. The present Horatio didn't forget what he had said at that time.

"_You're right, dad. I am a failure. It's my entire fault why mom died. I killed you when it was too late." _He saw the stricken boy hang his head and drop the gun he had used to kill. He recalled feeling nothing. Absolutely nothing._ "I failed to protect her…"_

Horatio wanted to hold his young self, wanted to give him the comfort that he had not received. But he couldn't move, it was like his feet were stuck, glued to the linoleum. He wanted to reach him, to say that everything was going to be alright even if it was a total lie. He wanted to do something. Anything.

But what could be possibly done now? What could he possibly do to make the situation less…sad?

Out of nowhere, he heard his father's voice again. He jerked his head sideways, seeing nothing.

"_You remember it, don't you? Everything…as clear as crystal."_

He turned his head back and looked at his past self, still his head was drooped, apparently not hearing what he was hearing now…

"_You didn't even hesitate to shoot, did you? You already made up your mind…maybe way before that. You didn't think twice in taking a life…such an awful thing for a fourteen year-old boy to do…"_

"I-I didn't mean—"

"_Don't lie, Horatio. You meant every single bullet you gave and you know it."_

He saw the young Horatio take one last look…

"_You're a piece of work, aren't you? You haven't only taken one soul…you took two…"_

"What are you taking about?"

Before he could hear an answer, he saw it instead. His fourteen year-old self finally walked out of the horrific scene, leaving his mother and father forever, lying on a pool of their own blood. As he took the step out, the preset Horatio saw something he had never expected in seeing.

He saw his mother's finger move slightly, and slowly her hand began to unfurl, revealing what she was holding. It was a beautiful silver chained necklace, barely visible underneath all the blood. She moved her hand again and out fell a little silver cross and a little silver pendant, slowly being covered in blood.

"No…" He shook his head, face etched in anguish. "…this…isn't happening…no…"

"_You didn't do anything, Horatio. You just left her to die."_

"NO! MOM!"

"_That's the problem with you, boy. You never look back."_

"MOM! Don't leave, please!!"

He couldn't believe it. He really was responsible. He left her there to die. He never looked back. He should've looked back. Watching this now, unable to do nothing but weep, was like him taking her life away. Leaving her for dead. Letting her go…

As the sirens came, everything faded and he was back to the stone-walled room, shaking and shedding silent tears of sheer desolation, feeling the jaws of regret biting him everywhere.

"I killed her…"

Marc sneered and let go of Horatio's shoulder. He stood up, saying, "Yes, you killed Katherine."

"Don't listen to him, Horatio! He's lyin'!" Calleigh exclaimed through a quickened breath. She hurriedly picked with the wire, inserting it inside the keyhole of the handcuffs.

"I killed my mother…"

"Don't fall for his trap! Horatio, please!" Calleigh shouted, tears already forming. 'Come on,' she thought, twisting the wire and sending it deeper into the lock.

She heard Marc say something and reach behind his pants pocket with his vacant hand, the other still holding the gun. 'Oh my God,' she thought, eyes amplifying. She saw him take out a looped cord and dreaded the inevitable, but something else caught her attention more. A glint. Something behind his shirt, tucked in between his pants.

"She turned you into the man you are now…a failure…and a killer…" Marc said harshly. His eyebrows were now jammed together and his nose was flaring, teeth clench, grinding against each other.

Without a second more, Marc lashed out on him. He struck him on the face with the looped cord, making a whip lashing sound in the air.

Horatio brought up his arms, covering his head and face, and leaned forward, his weight all centered on his aching knees. He kept hearing his father's voice, loud and ringing, but nothing registered. He did not make the least bit of sound as Marc kept whipping him with the cord.

He didn't do anything. He just kneeled there, taking in all in, letting his father have his way with him just like before. Accepting everything like the obedient son he was. He noticed something plunge on the floor. He blinked again and more plummeted and splashed on the floor.

He was crying…

All thoughts of fighting back were gone. He felt empty, hollow inside, not knowing what emotions to convey.

He smiled…

_Deep inside, I knew it was going to end this way. I just accepted the truth now. It's going to end with me dead and gone. I suppose it's alright. I have nothing much to live for anyway. Everybody will be better off without me, more happy and relieved. No more burdens from a person like me…_

_You'd like that, wouldn't you, dad? Don't worry, I'll be gone soon and you'll be happy again, just like before I was born. I didn't mean to make you angry, to give you pain. You look so sad and misplaced. I'm sorry for ever existing. You helped bring me to life, and you can take it back. I don't care. I just want to see you happy, just this once. _

_Besides, doing that, leaving forever, I get to see mom again, my little brother, Raymund, my wife, Marisol, and most of all…Eli—_

"Angel…"

In an instant, Horatio went back to reality upon hearing such a beautiful voice that he came to love more and more when he was a child. He thought he had heard his mother.

Horatio realized that his father had stopped lashing him. His body screamed in pain but his mouth didn't. He let his arms fall limply at his sides. He lifted his gaze and caught himself staring at the inside of a gun barrel, aimed between his eyes. He knew what was going to happen next and he welcomed it graciously by closing his eyes and slightly bowing his head.

"HORATIO!!"

Horatio jerked his eyes open at the sound of her panicked voice. He saw Calleigh and his father struggling. How she got the handcuffs off, Horatio had no time to guess. BANG! He was almost shot.

Calleigh jumped Marc from behind, taking him by surprise and making him point his gun to the other direction, away from Horatio.

"Get the fuck off me!!" Marc bellowed, casting aside bewilderment and replacing it with rage.

Calleigh wrapped her arm around the man's neck and kept on clinging. If she gave up now, nothing would be waiting for them but death. With her left helping her to hang on, she used her right, from behind she extended her arm and reached for the gun. She slipped off him, now both hands on the metallic weapon.

Two shots went off.

Their fingers were all over the gun, Calleigh making a huge effort not to let go. She knew that he was stronger than she'll eve be but still she kept trying. She hung on., hoping—praying—that Marc might slip.

Another shot went off.

She felt her grip sliding. She could feel the grin on the bastard's face knowing that he was winning. She knew that she was faltering, the man is too damn strong. Before everything became too late and she let go, she felt a bloody but firm pair of hands clasp around hers and the gun. She looked over her shoulder.

"I got you," said Horatio from behind, making the situation become two against one.

Horatio and Calleigh fought for the firearm and was winning. Sensing this, Marc took a quick breath and kicked Horatio square in the stomach, thus, making his hold loosen and double over but he still held on.

Horatio felt something building in his chest and now to his lungs. He then elbowed Marc on the face as the other sent a punch to his. He fell back and hit the stone floor hard, biting back the pain, hearing something clink at the process, rebounding towards him. He was about to get up when he heard something that left him completely frozen.

Two bullets were fired…its loud bang mixing with his scream.

"CALLEIGH!"

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Little Horatio: Hey, guys! Do not hesitate in leaving much appreciated reviews.

Ryan: Yeah. She needs them to survive.

Eric: More like to breathe.

(The two laugh there heads off.)

Stetler: (comes along) why are these idiots laughing?

Little Horatio: They said you're ugly and have a desperate need for attention.

Stetler: Okay, that's it! You two are dead! (begins to charge at them)

Little Horatio: I love it when I lie so quickly. (smiles)


	19. Sin

Little Horatio: Sorry to keep you all waiting again. Here it is!

Stetler: What took you so long?

Little Horatio: It's not like I do it on purpose! I have a life too you know!

Stetler: And an obligation to your readers!

Ryan: Take it easy, Stettie. She's just bummed out because she doesn't own any of us. (Places his elbow on Stetler's shoulder.)

Stetler: Get your elbow off me…

Ryan: (Backs away, grinning.) Ooooh! Someone's touchy today.

Stetler: Go play with Delko or something, don't bother me.

Ryan: Well, um, the way you said that makes me want to…BOTHER YOU MORE!!! HA! HA!

Little Horatio: (Stares…) …how annoying…

………………………………………………………………………………..

Chapter 19: Sin

He caught her before she could even touch the damp stone floor. His arms wrapped around the waist of the body that was on top of him, one pressing against the other. He shook her as he hurriedly sat up, arms still wrapped, her head on his lap.

"Cal…?"

Her eyes were closed, body still and unmoving. Horatio didn't or, rather, couldn't feel her breathing. There were two bullet holes, dead center on her chest.

"Calleigh…open your eyes…"

He shook her again and her head slid limply to the other side. Still…nothing…

"Please…don't do this to me…not you…"

Horatio brought her head to his face, wet with warms tears. He held her, arms remaining where they were, not daring to let go. He tightened his embrace on the limp body, sobbing silently.

Swallowing the firm knot that settled in his throat, he uttered his last good bye.

Foreheads pressed together, lips almost touching, Horatio whispered, "I'm sorry…"

He then laid her down gently. A small smile crept on his face as he pulled her golden hair away from her features, and visualized the bright smile she always wore, the one she didn't hesitate to give. He pulled another strand, using shaky fingers that held blood. His hand veered away.

Kneeling beside her, Horatio bowed his head. He gave no attention to the man behind him. Not now, not yet. He will be dealt with, he guaranteed, but right at this moment, it was only him and Calleigh that mattered, nothing else.

He started caressing her hair, eyes on her face, the natural warmth and color, gone. As he did so, he felt something more chilling and more unforgiving, covered under the blood stained hair of the once breathing Calleigh Duquesne. He immediately looked at her, at her pale face, eyes filled with shock and terror.

As if telling him something, Horatio nodded miserably. He understood.

He grazed his finger on her cheek, feeling her for the last time.

Then, all of the sudden, his heart began to ache. He could hear the pounding in his ears. The pain made his hand go over his chest and press it down, feeling his heart tighten. It was like nothing he had ever felt. The throbbing made him want to scream. But, he bit his lip, stopping himself from such an act. He shut his eyes and attempted to throw away the pain. As quickly as he did so, the pain subsided in a flash. His hand dropped from his chest.

His eyes went to Calleigh again, but now, he shed no more tears. The pain was gone and his breathing eased. Slowly and unknowingly, he ran his fingers through her hair and brushed against something smooth and cold once more. He coiled his fingers around it as he stood up, head still down, face covered by the shadows as well as half of his body. His hands hung limply at his sides.

_Cuffed to an escalator of unfair pain one could not possibly imagine…_

"She knew it was coming," Marc said hoarsely, holding his gun. "I warned her."

Horatio turned and faced the man that is his flesh and blood.

They were only a few steps away from each other…

A few steps from committing the crime that shall never be forgiven…

Marc acted quickly and raised his gun as Horatio took a step forward.

"Don't get any ideas, boy," he warned. He didn't know why but, he suddenly felt afraid, as if the atmosphere rapidly took a whole new direction and it was all against him.

He stared at the countenance that showed no emotion. Though his mind wouldn't admit it, he was shaken. He anticipated a vindictive appearance that could've scared the shit out of anyone, but instead, received nothing. Even the grief that was heavily present before vanished. He stopped his body from shaking and steadied his hold on the gun.

From some reason, the longer he stared at Horatio's expressionless face, the more fear seemed to increase. Why was he having this feeling? He was the one holding the gun, not Horatio, so why was he afraid? Was it the calm movements? Was it his unfathomable visage? Or was it the pair of blue eyes that kept staring at him, penetrating his very flesh and revealing nothing that can identify him as human?

Marc gritted his teeth and took a step back, forcing the feeling aside. He aimed the gun directly between the eyes of Horatio, who seemed unfazed. As the one opposite him took another step forward, unconsciously, he hurriedly stepped back. He kept going until his back hit the wall, indicating that there was no more space left for him to run.

Horatio's face was blank. Though he kept his eyes on the old man, to him, it was like staring at nothing. He didn't feel anything. All sensation of feeling was nothing but gone. A part of him seemed locked up in a cage, helpless and alone….While the other stood free, strong, in control and dominant, and that nothing could stand in his way.

It was unusual.

He could see himself in two different angles: the weak and the strong. And this time, his feeble kind-hearted self sat at a corner as the strapping and vengeful one took over, prevailing after a long era of deep slumber.

Out of nowhere, something zoomed past him and hit the stone wall, making a shattering noise and a light spark. He did not react. He merely stood there, staring impassively.

He missed, Out of fear, Marc missed. His hand was trembling, along with the rest of his body. His aim was completely off, and he would regret wasting that bullet in his afterlife.

Horatio continued his pace, slow and steady. He moved in a quiet grace that Marc's heavy breathing was the only thing perceived. He could see the fear in the man's eyes, the look he had been waiting for, the look that he inadvertently craved.

'A few more steps…' he thought, expression blank and haunting, 'then it will be all over…again.'

He halted as he took his final stride, the gun was almost touching his forehead now and he did not give it any indication of relevance. No flinch, no wince, no quiver as the cold metal slightly brushed against his flesh, no feeling of fear, or even anger…no nothing.

He was empty, completely hollow, and, deep inside; he silently wished to stay that way forever…

Numb to all things existing…

Marc felt a bead of sweat come down from his face to underneath his shirt. He never felt like this before and he hated himself for feeling it now.

'What happened?' the thought came to him, taking his eyes away from the younger Caine, 'It was going alright from the start, then it just all went wrong!'

His eyes went back to the man in front of him.

He almost dropped his gun.

The look he was seeing was beyond belief. He thought that he handled the right man, that he had picked the right person, that he had sought for the young vulnerable boy in Horatio Caine.

How sorry he was going to be for being so wrong.

The man before his eyes wasn't Horatio Caine. He was totally different. His face, almost every surface covered in blood, revealed something that did not exist. And his eyes, those glistening eyes that acquired the color of a clear sky, showed indifference to pain, to everything.

Marc couldn't bare it any longer, and decided to end it once and for all before anything unexpected happens again. He pulled the trigger.

Click!

He froze. Nothing happened. No loud noise, no spatter of blood. "No," the word slipped out. Gun still aimed, he tried again.

Click! Click!

Again and again, he pulled the trigger, and again, the bullet meant to kill the younger Caine never came in contact to anything. He became desperate.

"Why won't you die!?" Marc screamed, pulling the trigger over and over like a man possessed.

The answer came; simple and with utmost subtlety that it shook Marc entirely.

"I died a long time ago…"

His eyes expanded. He loosened his hold on the gun, letting it drop to the floor, producing a clanging noise. As fast as he could, he slipped his hand behind him, withdrawing the extra firearm he had all along hidden underneath his shirt.

He grabbed nothing but air.

He twisted his head, looking at the motionless body sprawled on the other side of the room and, at that moment, he found out.

She took the gun during the struggle.

But, where was it now? By the time he had registered everything in play, Horatio took a step closer. Their eyes met in time and that was the last thing he had seen, the last memory he had stored.

Those haunting blue eyes.

Marc's body shuddered as it happened. He instantly felt the pain and warm fluid. His mouth began to overflow with blood. It gradually dripped from the corners of his lips to his chin.

He staggered forward.

Horatio, gun in hand, did not move, nor did his look change. He let the man falter before him, letting him grab his shoulders for equilibrium.

Marc fought it, but knew that, eventually, he will lose to this ill fate.

With his head sunk low, he held on, spewing blood as he tried to breathe. A lot came out, but nothing came in.

The younger Caine did not even bother to throw him to the ground, as much as his body wanted to. Instead, he leaned his head closer, reaching the man's ear and slowly, in a low unforgiving voice, whispered…

"…And so did you…"

With that, Horatio took a step backward, leaving Marc with nothing to hold on to. He watched him quietly, not knowing if he was happy or even satisfied of what he had done.

Eyes attached to the redheaded old man, he waited patiently.

Then, the time came.

Marc spat a large amount of blood. Scarlet kept spreading on his front, getting larger and larger. He clutched his chest, eyes bulging. He dropped to his knees, blood flowing freely out his mouth.

With one final effort, he extended his arm, reaching for the person who stood still, merely looking at him, lacking feeling.

Marc Anthony Caine collapsed to the floor, his body curling. He took his last breath and, with eyes wide open, he passed, leaving Horatio to the company of two dead bodies and multitudes of sin.

The deed been done and with nothing to hope for, Horatio calmly exited the scene, gun in hand.

What he had dreaded from the very beginning had occurred and he couldn't change that. Not thinking of any choices to make, he will live up to what he had said earlier on, and with no hesitation will he permit himself to it.

Not looking back, he left the room, and tightened his grasp on the inevitable.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Rain was lightly pouring as they reached their destination. The sirens were turned off, making the element of surprise stand in their favor. They could not afford any more slip-ups.

Rick Stetler got out the hummer, along with Eric Delko and Ryan Wolfe, and Tim Speedle, who stepped out of the driver's side. The moment their shoes felt the grass, they withdrew their guns, fingers near the trigger, ready for anything, anyone.

The IAB Agent normally didn't have guns with him but before they drove off he told one of the young officers to hand him one. He wasn't going to be left out on this one. He looked up and saw the sky darkening, hinting that it would rain heavily very soon. Little by little, they were getting soaked.

A police officer, Jessop, approached them, walking on the freshly mowed grass. He led the first squad cars up front. He was in charge with all of them.

"You were right, sir," he said to Stetler, gun also drawn. "We heard a gun being fired at the premises."

"How many shots?" Stetler asked.

"We heard just one, sir," Officer Jessop replied. "What are your orders?"

"We are not going to wait for SWAT. We are going to take action now," barked the Sergeant. "Where did you hear it?"

"The fire? Over at the very back of the Cathedral, sir," Officer Jessop answered, pointing.

"Then that's where we start," Stetler said, then ordered, "Get your men ready. We're going in at the back. Remember; cover and no noise."

"Yes, sir," obeyed the officer and ran to his team.

"We're not checking the front?" Eric argued.

"You heard what Jessop said, Delko," said Wolfe, with no more doubts.

Before any more arguments could ensue, Speed said," Come on; let's get our asses in gear."

No questions asked, they followed Jessop and his fellow police officers and secured their own station at the back of the church. They reached the back entrance.

"All clear," Officer Jessop whispered, but just loud enough for them to hear.

Stetler nodded and went in with the others, gun firmly held and carefully aimed. Quickly but quietly, they searched the whole area before proceeding to the corridors, each taking in their own door to infiltrate and seek out.

Busting doors wide open all over the place, and shouting "MDPD!" was the only thing they did. Every room they went to they found nothing. In fact, the area was unpleasantly quiet and it seemed like the whole place was deserted. That wasn't a good sign for any of them.

Speed, Delko and Wolfe were now staring at Stetler, giving him a look of danger. For five whole minutes, nothing came up and they were getting restless. It seemed that all hope was suddenly lost.

When they were ready to give up, Jessop, from out of nowhere, called for their attention.

"We heard something," he said urgently in a hushed tone.

They surrounded a half-opened door, with Jessop peeking inside. He mouthed that it was too dark to see but he thought he saw a body and gestured for an entering. He lifted his foot and kicked the door hard, letting it swing wide open.

All of them went inside in a blink of an eye.

"MDPD!"

Guns raised and alert as ever, they spread out the room. It was shadowy and their only source of light came from the door. They spread out farther.

Taking only at least three steps further, Jessop suddenly slipped, falling down to one knee, a hand down on the floor for support. He silently thanked God that he didn't fire his weapon by accident. He lifted his hand from the floor and felt something sticky and somewhat disgusting.

"What the hell…?"

"Stay still, Jessop," Ryan's voice echoed in the small space. "I have my Maglite with me."

The second Wolfe clicked his Maglite open, Jessop couldn't help but gasp.

"Shit!" Officer Jessop exclaimed, backing away from the body he was so near to. He raised his hand and saw the blood that he had felt earlier. He couldn't suppress a shudder.

Before they could identify the body, another shout was heard from the other end of the room. This time, it was Eric Delko.

"Calleigh!"

Both Speed and Delko saw her on the ground, surrounded by blood, but the Cuban was the first one who reacted. He quickly fell to his knees and dropped his gun, holding his own Maglite. Ryan quickly went to their side of the room.

Eric's eyes went wide as he realized two bullet holes on her chest. He shook her.

"Calleigh! Calleigh!"

Before he could do anymore, Speed kneeled beside him and dropped his Maglite. Then, he hastily ripped Calleigh's shirt open and saw what he had hoped for.

Kevlar.

After that, he opened the Velcro but did not take off the vest. He just gave enough space to let the air flow in properly. He lowered his head and pressed his ear against her chest, looking for a pulse.

The next thing they knew, Calleigh's head moved from side to side and was slowly getting back to consciousness. She opened her eyes and the first thing she saw were Speed, Eric and Ryan, all looking down at her. She was about to say something but was stopped by a shaken Delko.

"Oh, thank God, Cal," said Eric in relief, helping her sit up and holding her. "You're okay."

"Where—"

"You're at St. Laurence's Cathedral, Cal," said Ryan, relieved as well. "We found you."

"Where's—"

"Calm down, Cal," said Eric, "It's alright."

As the two of them were comforting her, Speed picked up his Maglite and stood up. He felt that something was wrong. And realized that Stetler wasn't in the room any more. He quickly walked out the small space and went to find the IAB Agent when he bumped into Jessop.

"I just called the paramedics, they're on their way," said the young officer. "Looking for something?"

"More of a 'someone'," Speed said.

"We're still searching the premises," Jessop informed him. "We haven't located Lieutenant Caine yet."

"Where's Stetler?"

"I-I don't know," said Jessop, suddenly becoming nervous.

Just when Speed was about to say something else, a female officer moved toward them, saying, "We found something."

Jessop nodded and the two of them followed her. They entered another room, and Speed pointed his Maglite inside. He saw something flash on the ground and pointed it there.

Photographs, dozens of them, covered the floor. Speed bent his knees and retrieved one and saw the face that he had seen before in the other room where they found Calleigh.

The guy on the photograph matched the description of the dead body in the other room. He flipped the picture and read something off the back.

"April 7, 1981," Speed muttered. His eyes went narrow. "This can't be right…"

"What is it?" Jessop asked, curious.

"These are crime scene photos," Speed said.

"Isn't that the dead guy we—I almost touched," said Jessop, sounding disgusted.

"Yeah," Speed agreed eyes still on the photograph. It had a picture of a dead body, male, on it. "But, this dates back to 1981."

"That can't be possible!" Jessop let out.

"I know," Speed said, looking from Officer Jessop to the picture. The man had red hair, was shot in the chest and was covered in blood, much like their DB in the other room.

This wasn't a good sign.

………………………………………………………………………………..

Lightning flashed as Horatio stumbled into God's house, blinded by misery and remorse. All around him were dozens and dozens of lit candles, flickering, and shedding some light in the sad scene that was his only refuge.

Dragging his beaten body, he broke down and fell to his knees in front of the altar, letting what he was holding tumble off his hand.

Bodily pain was a secondary concern to him. His heart had been torn to pieces. First, his whole family…and now, this. His soul wept in grief. He wanted to be released from this living hell he was experiencing. He'd had enough. He wanted it all to end. He wanted the pain to go away…forever.

"Why?" he said in an angry undertone as he looked up at the crucifix. His eyes begging for an answer.

None came.

"Why?" he repeated, this time louder than before, his voice echoing.

Nothing.

"WHY!?"

His scream mixed with the sound of thunder and another flash of lightning.

Still, no response came.

He hung his head, wanting to know the answer he so long ago yearned for. How could this happen to him? What had he done to deserve such torture and wickedness? Was it because of the sin he had committed as a child? Was this a test to prove that he was truly sorry for performing such a crime? If it was, then he's had enough of God's judgment, and will make his own.

He'd gone astray from everything. He'd seen and experienced too much loss. He'd had enough. He lifted his gaze and saw the sinister object look intently back at him from the linoleum. Summoning him. Persuading him to do what he thought was the only way of escaping.

He ran his hands all the way through his hair.

He reached for the small metallic object on the ground, his fingers trembling as he did so. He picked up the gun and drew back the hammer. Then, he took a deep, quivering breath, and thrust the end of the gun hard to his temple, his finger hovering over the trigger.

He closed his eyes as vivid images streamed in his mind, invading his inner most thoughts. He could see his mother, as beautiful and elegant as she was before, looking down at him with those striking brown eyes that only showed concern and love.

Horatio smiled.

He opened his eyes and there she was, just as what he had seen in his mind. She illuminated the whole sanctuary with her beauty and grace.

"Any moment now, we'll be together again," he said in a shaky voice.

He closed his eyes, for the last time. And lowered the gun, letting it point at his heart. All those deaths, all the misery and pain, all the guilt…will be gone with just one bullet. That was all it would take, and that was all he needed.

"_No…"_

One squeeze of the trigger and it would all be over…

"Horatio!!"

He felt a firm hand on top of his. His eyes jerked open and he raised his head. His ghostly pale blue eyes made contact with worried brown ones.

"R-Rick?"

The IAB Agent had found him and was glad that it wasn't too late. His colleague was pressing a gun against his chest and was ready to pull the trigger.

"Horatio," Rick said softly, his voice filled with concern. His gone holstered. "Don't do this."

"Rick…I-I can't…"

"Horatio…" said Rick, "…give me the gun."

"No…I have to do this…"

"No, you don't," Rick told him. "You still have a choice."

"No, I don't!" Horatio shouted, hearing the spattering of rain outside. "Don't you understand? No matter what I do…no matter how hard I try…the ones I love will always be the ones who pay…

"This is the only way, Rick."

"No, Horatio," the brunette said calmly, then knelt down in front of him. "It isn't. Like I said, you still have a choice. You haven't lost everything."

"Yes, I have!" Horatio yelled at him. "I've lost everything, my mother, my brother, my wife—my whole family! They're gone and it's all because of me!"

"Those deaths were not your fault," Rick told him, looking at his hopeless blue eyes. "And you know that."

"I don't know what to do anymore," Horatio said in a hushed tone, not hearing what the other had said. He squeezed the gun tighter, his finger getting closer to ending it all.

"And now…Calleigh's gone."

"You're wrong, Horatio," said a soft voice.

Speed came out of the shadows from behind the altar, the same way Rick did.

"S-speed…"

"Calleigh's alive and she's okay," Speed informed him, "Eric and Ryan are taking care of her."

"H-how…?"

"She was wearing Kevlar the whole time," said Speed sincerely.

Horatio looked up into his friend's eyes and saw nothing but love and understanding. He felt Rick's hand clasp harder on his. He looked down at his chest.

"Your friends don't deserve this, Horatio," Rick said with sad eyes, "They don't deserve the pain of losing you."

Horatio's grip loosened and Rick slid the gun from his hand and settled it on the floor next to him, as Speed knelt down beside Horatio to comfort him.

"It's okay, H," Speed said, gathering the broken man into his arms. "You're not alone…you were never alone."

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"

"Shh," hushed Speed, "It's okay. Everything's gonna be okay."

Rick saw the realization hit Horatio, telling him that he hadn't lost everything, that he had his friends and that he didn't have to go all through this alone. The man who'd been so strong all these years, with all he'd been through, was falling apart before his eyes.

He stood up, carrying the gun and looked back over his shoulder, fixing his eyes on the crucifix.

Then, he mouthed a silent 'thank you.'

Beside Christ's crucified body, the angel from before, smiled, and said in a soft whisper, _"No, Rick…thank you…"_

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Little Horatio: So? Did you guys like it?

Ryan: POKE! POKE! POKE!

Stetler: GAH! Stop poking me!!

Ryan: Why? It's fun! POKE!

Little Horatio: (Stares then shakes head) grown-ups these days…they're even worse than kids.

Stetler: Stop it!

Ryan: Make me! POKE! POKE!

Little Horatio: (Sighs then turns away) remember, I don't mind if you guys left reviews!! And, oh yeah!! Wait for the upcoming chapter! It'll be the last chap, so don't miss it!!


	20. Not Alone

Little Horatio: I won't keep you waiting!!! Here it is!!

Chapter 20: Not Alone

The nurse was twenty-five years old, blonde and nervous. This was only her second week at Miami-Dade Teaching Hospital and she was still getting used to it all, the myriad of sick and injured inhabitants of Miami.

Only giving service for two months, MDTH, Miami's newly built teaching hospital, already had their fair share of illnesses and gore. And they knew that more would come, but not in the way they had expected.

That evening, the nurse was there when the paramedics brought in a redheaded man who was covered entirely with blood. Shirtless and already in shock, they rushed him to the emergency room and immediately prepared the man up for surgery. She could only watch as they disappeared behind the swinging double doors.

Now, four days went by and she was making her way down a wide, brightly lit corridor, clipboard in hand. It was almost ten in the morning and the view outside the glass walls of the hospital was beautiful and pleasant. She was wearing a freshly laundered white dress. Her name—W. Oswald—was printed on a badge pinned to her uniform.

She stopped in front of a closed door. Room seven.

"Good morning, ma'am," said one of the two officers that were guarding the door.

"Good morning, officers," she said, a little shaky.

"I trust you know the procedure," said the other officer, "Nurse Oswald."

"I'm not going in today, officer," she told him, knowing full well the procedures needed to go through in order to get in the patient's room. "I just came to see how the lieutenant is doing."

Through the door window, she saw Lieutenant Horatio Caine sitting up in bed, once again, staring at something with a blank expression on his face. He was wearing night clothes that had fallen open at the neck and she could just make out the bandages criss-crossing his chest. He also had his right arm on a sling to prevent him from using it, thinking that he might tear the stitches at his side and move his broken ribs.

He was a very handsome man; Nurse Oswald blushed at the thought. He had fiery red hair that was disheveled and empty blue eyes that appeared as if they had seen a great deal of pain. She had read his medical file and understood what he had been through.

In all certainty, Lieutenant Caine should have been dead. He had suffered a severe head trauma and concussion, and massive blood-lose. The injuries he sustained were unimaginable. An estimated 39 shards of glass had pierced through his flesh and left stuck there. And a long one was responsible for puncturing his right lung, filling the space between his lung and thoracic cage, giving him a hard time to breathe. They took them out one by one, including the bits of left glass that got in his ankle.

They had to remove him from shock in order to stop him from discharging more blood. The welts and lacerations on his back and wrists were more trouble than they assumed. And amidst in the surgery, they had discovered that the patient had cracked two ribs, an addition to all his grievances. And it seemed that all hope was lost when his heart finally gave out.

He was gone for a total of fifteen minutes.

But now he was looking almost as if nothing had happened. But things were entirely different. Just as she heard it, "He had changed."

She wasn't one to gossip but she heard the conversation. The Lieutenant had visitors everyday the moment he went out of surgery. Albeit two in those four days he was unconscious. By accident, she heard them talking and managed to pick up a few phrases, one, in particular, shook her.

"…one of the downsides of being the famous Lieutenant Horatio Caine," she heard a fine-looking Cuban say to his companions, shaking his head in disbelief.

At first, she had no clue what they were talking about. But as she took her break inside the nurses' lounge and watched television with her colleagues, she knew exactly what they meant.

Every news channel they flicked on, only one headliner was shown. And it was Lieutenant Horatio Caine. They had revealed certain and accurate details of what the redheaded Lieutenant had gone through and even showing an exclusive video clip footage of what exactly went on inside Saint Laurence's Cathedral.

She couldn't believe her eyes, the hardships that the Lieutenant went through, and the pain he had endured. The footage ended as he left the dark room, and she couldn't have been more relieved. All of them in the lounge were speechless and couldn't help but feel terribly sorry for their current redheaded patient.

She knew now why the Lieutenant wasn't talking, not even uttering a single word to his doctor, nurses or colleagues at work. He just sat there quietly on his bed the moment he opened his eyes and stare at nothing but the ceiling.

Pain had damaged him…

She sighed heavily and pitied the man inside the room.

"There's nobody with him," Wendy said, not used to seeing the redhead alone.

"Lieutenant Caine has not received any visitors yet," one of the officers said.

"Oh," the nurse said, lowering her gaze. "I better get going."

The two police officers nodded and did not bother to watch her leave.

On the other side, Horatio had known that the nurse was there watching him, even though he did not look at her directly. She mostly came when it was about to change his bandages, and every time she did, she left behind the scent of her lotion—vanilla and raspberry--in the air. It seemed that since his injury, his sense of smell had become more acute than before.

He looked around at the neat, softly lit room of his. There was a TV that hung from the wall, operated by a remote control beside his bed, which he had never touched. A window looked out over near the beach, but was now covered by the blinds, not letting anything or anyone look in. His room was on the second floor, one of about a dozen arranged near the bright and modern reception area.

Horatio brought his head back to the pillow and closed his eyes, recalling his past few days in the hospital. And the first thing that popped out of his head was none other than Alexx Woods.

He had only just come around after the surgery when she appeared. He had never seen his chief coroner looking so unsure of herself.

"I honestly don't know where to start, Horatio," Alexx began. She hadn't asked him how he was doing. She would have already talked to the doctors about that. "What happened to you these past couple of days was unforgivable."

Horatio shifted uncomfortably in the bed but said nothing or rather, couldn't say anything.

"Don't worry, honey, your condition is stable. I can't tell you how relieved I—we all are," she changed in mid-sentence. Her sad black eyes looked down, taking in the tubes and wires attached to the man lying in front of her, feeding into his arms, nose , mouth and stomach. "I know you can't talk right now, baby. So I'll get to the point."

Alexx let out a heavy breath before continuing. "I checked Marc Anthony Caine's medical records and he's only been in the hospital for two times." She took out some autopsy photos from the folder she was holding and held them out for Horatio to see. "But, I had to check twice."

"See this scar along the hairline?" she said, tracing her finger on the photograph. "Well, this is where plastic surgeons like to hide their handy work. He had a face lift, Horatio, to change his whole appearance."

She took another photo and replaced the previous one. "Scars in the mouth indicate cheek implants and chin augmentation. There's another scar right here—" She pointed at the photo."—bilateral autoplasty. He had his ears backed up and did a little change with his nose.

"Horatio, this man isn't your father," she said, "He tried really hard to be what he wanted to be."

She saw no sign that the man she was talking to had been ,in anyway, fazed.

"Baby, this man told us the truth when he went inside MDPD," Alexx said to him. "He wasn't your father, he was your uncle, Samuel Caine."

Horatio merely stared at her as she explained everything that she and the CSIs found out about the man they all thought to be their boss' father. His eyes gave nothing away.

"We checked his DNA to be sure and we were right," she continued, but look appalled as she received no indication from him about anything. "You don't seem, surprised, honey."

His tired eyes veered off and prevented making eye contact with her, as she said, "You knew he wasn't your father, didn't you? Horatio…"

It was true. Horatio did know, though not at the very beginning. He only figured out when it was too late, when everything was too late. And he was angry at himself for letting things go too far.

Before he could hear Alexx continue, he'd already dozed off because of the morphine that was being pumped into his veins. And that was the end of it.

The succeeding visits were made by his CSIs, mostly Calleigh. They had tried their best to make light of the situation, telling him that everything was going to be alright and that he had them by his side, but, unfortunately, their efforts were put in vain as Horatio's only reply was silence. Not only that, the DA requested that they were to get evidence photos for fear that another nutcase might pop up.

They photographed Horatio's body from the blunt force trauma on his temple to the perforation on his ankle. The CSIs didn't like the idea and the entire experience, feeling that they were violating their boss. And unfortunately, Horatio didn't say a word to stop the whole thing, even though he himself felt ashamed about his body and didn't want to be touched.

He didn't know why but, he didn't want to talk about anything, especially to anyone. He had spent his hours lying in bed, as silent as ever, either with his eyes closed or with them open, he didn't much care. All he wanted was to be left alone, and his CSIs pretty much caught the hint. That's why, today, in the present hours of the morning, he had not received any visits from anyone, in which he was more than grateful.

………………………………………………………………………

It was already two in the afternoon and the officers guarding the door were about to get some coffee when they saw a man carrying a box, accompanied with two other men in uniforms.

"Good afternoon, sir," said the officer at the right side of the door.

"Did anyone visit Lieutenant Caine this morning?"

"None, sir," replied the other one.

"Why don't the two of you get a bite to eat," the man carrying the box suggested idly. "Officers Llaga and Westen will cover for you."

The two nodded and gave a small gesture before walking to the cafeteria for a much needed break. Their positions were replaced by Llaga and Westen. One of them opened the door to let the man escorted in.

The brunette walked into the room and saw Horatio lying on the bed with his eyes closed. He turned to his bedside table, removed the remote control for the television and placed the box he had been carrying on the surface. He lifted the top and brought out what seem to be…cards?

"Don't be surprised if you get more than 30, Horatio," the man said, slightly smiling and bringing out the get well cards one by one. "I'm not."

He did not wait for the redhead to say or do anything, albeit he knew that he was fully awake and aware of his presence.

"It took the FBI a long time to process these," he said, placing the cards neatly on the table. "But if you ask me, they just want to cover their ass and let everybody know that they did at least ONE thing that had something to do with your case."

The redhead lying on the hospital bed remained silent and still, only listening to his visitor talking, who said, "You scared everyone when you left us that night. Believe it or not, Wolfe almost lost it."

After placing the last get-well card on the bedside table, he took the box and settled it on the linoleum. He glanced over his shoulder.

"I see that security's doing their job," he said, seeing the shadows of the two officers outside the door. "That Sykes reporter and her goofy cameraman faced the system when they snuck into your room and took those pictures. And MDPD reclaimed the bastard's tape that they stole at the crime scene, but it turned out too late. The story about you and your 'uncle' went nation wide."

He paused for a bit, leaning on the wall. "I was wrong, wasn't I? Thinking that it was your dad when I knew for a long time that he's already dead. Well…now everybody knows, the whole nation."

He walked next to Horatio's bed and gestured at the table, saying, "Which resulted to this."

The man was a little relieved that Horatio, finally, opened his eyes and turned his gaze to him. His eyes veered from the man standing to his bedside table.

There at the table, Horatio could see the cards that his visitor had placed, open and facing him. He read them in his mind.

* * *

We know that it's kinda silly sending you a **c**ard when we come there every hour of the day, but **s**till we d**i**d.

We just want you to know, H, that you have your fa**m**ily to come to when you feel—as Calle**i**gh h**a**ppily put it—"shoved in the du**m**ps."

You know where to f**i**nd us, boss.

Everybody does…

Signed,

Your loving family at MDPD Crime Lab.

* * *

His eyes went to another card, reading only to himself.

* * *

We saw on the news what happened to you.

That Erica Sykes woman sto**l**e it from the crime scene and sold it for foot**a**ge, didn't **s**he?

She'll ha**v**e her day…

W**e** just wanted to say **g**et well soon and hope that you're the s**a**me as alway**s**.

"_That which does not kill us, makes us stronger…"_

-Nietzsche

Bet you knew that Gil added that, right?

We stopped him from sending you chocolate-coated grasshoppers.

Yours truly,

CSI Las Vegas

* * *

"You're wondering why cards, right? If it took the Feds that long to process for hidden messages or threats?" the brunette said, watching the redhead as he kept on reading the cards. "When you were still unconscious, this room was flowing with flowers, but I had them taken away. I know it'll just remind you of a funeral parlor."

Horatio didn't say anything but had his eyes on another card. Again, he read only in his mind.

* * *

We heard about what happe**n**ed and St**e**lla caught sight of it in the ne**w**s.

The reports were terribl**y** given, letting pe**o**ple watch what you've been th**r**ough li**k**e that.

Don't worry, we gave ourselves the power to confiscate their copy of the video.

Tim said they better watch their asses if he found out that they were hiding a copy.

Funnily enough, they were too scared to.

We hope at least that made you smile.

And we wish you a speedy recovery.

Sincerely,

CSI New York

* * *

"You should read this," the man said, placing a card in front of the others.

* * *

I hope your doing well, Lieutenant.

What that man did to you was horrible.

And you were right.

Your CSIs found out who stole my stuff in, like, less than a day tops.

You and your team are awesome!

Get well soon!!

Guess who!

Amara Kent

* * *

Guessing that Horatio was done, he placed another card up front, saying, "This was the first one you received."

* * *

Sorry for leaving before you woke up, H.

I really had to **g**o back to New York.

Mac and the guys needed m**e** wi**t**h a case…they always do.

**Well**, just relax there on your bed.

Don't do anything that'll make Alexx shout at you. You need rest.

And for God's sake, **H**, eat something! You look like a pole wearing a suit.

Get your strength back, Miami needs you.

And by the way, you still owe me…

Speed

* * *

The man who brought all the cards sighed and walked up to the window, looking out at the sunny view. He inserted his hands in his pockets, saying, "When will you stop this, Horatio?"

Horatio turned his gaze away from the cards, even though there were so much more to read. He saw one from little Adam Brylle, Cathy Lynn, Chief Willard, Tripp, everyone, even the ones who he didn't seem to remember at the moment. He didn't read them all, thinking there'll always be time.

"You haven't spoken to anyone since you woke up," the brunette continued, annoyed. "Your CSIs have been visiting you every chance they get and what do you do? You ignore them!"

Horatio took his time slowly sitting up, using only his left hand for support. The sling on his right arm made things more worse for him. When he at last sat up, he gave the man a look and, finally, said, "Why do you care, Rick?"

Rick Stetler faced Horatio, not pretending that everything was okay anymore. "I care because it's affecting their jobs. They've worked there asses off and got worried sick trying to find you. And after everything that happened, you don't even talk to them. And instead of focusing on their jobs, they've been focusing on you."

After a moment of silence, Horatio said, "I just want to be left alone."

"They can't leave you alone, Horatio," said Rick, massaging his temple. "Because they think that it's their fault that you went through hell."

The red head gave him a perplexed look and said, "How do you mean?"

"They felt bad about not doing anything when they noticed that something was wrong with you," the sergeant explained.

Horatio looked at his lap and fell silent once more, feeling guilt gradually build up again.

"Rick, how did you know that something was wrong with me?"

"I had my suspicions," he said. "But your neighbors were the ones who gave me solid proof."

Stetler saw the look on Horatio's face and said, "They called, saying they couldn't take it anymore. They heard a loud noise coming from inside your house and reported that a man had been coming back and forth, stalking you. But what set them off were the screams.

"And then there was the blood at the crime scene," Rick added. "I told Woods everything and she believed me. That's why she didn't stop me when I came to your office."

"To assault me?" let out Horatio.

"To expose you," corrected the sergeant.

Horatio pondered for a bit and said, "How did you know I was at Holy Redeemer's?"

"To tell you the truth," he said, "It was only a hunch."

Both of them didn't say anything after a while. But it was Horatio who eventually broke the silence, saying as he looked up, "Rick, I want you to tell me everything that happened at the cathedral."

Rick stood there, shocked at the red head's statement. "You…you don't remember, do you?"

"No," Horatio simple answered. "I don't. I just…I just blacked out when I saw Calleigh lying there…motionless."

Rick let out a heavy breath and scratched his head, feeling uncomfortable.

"You shot your uncle on the chest…then you went to the altar and…"

"And what, Rick?" said Horatio, wanting him to go on.

"I saw you," the brunette said uneasily.

"What was I doing?" the red head asked.

"You were…you were about to shoot yourself."

Horatio closed his eyes and leaned back, trying desperately to remember the events. "Where was I pointing the gun?"

"I can't believe this," muttered Rick.

"Rick…please…"

He knew that there was no stopping him, so he answered. "At the heart…"

"At the heart…" Horatio repeated in a hushed tone. He opened his eyes and turned to him saying, "What if you were wrong, Rick?"

"Wrong about what?"

"What if you were wrong about the location?" asked Horatio, tilting his head. "What if I got killed because you and the team were searching at the wrong place?"

Stetler stared at Horatio intently who stared back with soft blue eyes. He didn't know why the red head was making him answer all this and he was surprised that he was even answering for that matter. He just didn't know where their conversation would lead until he eventually found out.

"Then…" Rick said, walking around the bed, "I'll live the rest of my life knowing that I was the one who caused the death of Horatio Caine."

Looking satisfied with the sergeant's answer, Horatio removed his gaze from him. He let a small smile creep its way on his face.

"That sounds too sad for me," Horatio stated quietly.

Rick gave Horatio a quizzical look as the red head cradled his right arm. Then his gaze fell upon Rick for the fourth time as he said, "I owe you, Rick."

Horatio saw the brunette taken aback by what he had said, but still he continued. "I owe you for everything that you've done for me and my team."

Stetler erased the look of astonishment on his face with a frown, saying, "You don't owe me anything, Horatio. It was your team that did it all, not me."

"That's quite the contrary from what I heard, Rick," the red head told him. Because even though he wasn't talking while his CSIs were around, he was still listening.

"Believe what you want to believe, Horatio. I don't care," said Rick in an irritated tone.

Horatio smiled weakly at the IAB Agent's sentiment. "So this doesn't change anything."

"No, it doesn't," Rick replied quickly and angrily, turning his back. "Nothing's changed."

"You still haven't forgiven me for the past, have you, Rick?" said Horatio, looking away.

"No," Rick answered, glancing sideways. "I haven't."

"It's still my fault then," Horatio said sadly.

"I have something that's for you," Rick said unexpectedly, pulling something out of his suit pocket and revealing a small box-shaped gift. "They told me to give this when I finally had the mind to visit you."

He placed the small package on the bedside table gently.

"Thank you," Horatio said, looking at the small parcel and noticing the letter V that was scribbled on the side.

Stetler nodded and grabbed the knob of the door. Before turning it he said, "I better go…"

Horatio did not utter a word as he watched Rick walk out and close the door.

His eyes wandered to the package that he had just received but decidedly not to open it. He, instead, diverted his attention and just looked out the window, waiting as it grew darker and darker, until the sun finally set.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

A discreet glow made his eyes open slowly, instantly making him wonder wear it came from. He looked at the watch at his bedside table and saw its numerals shining, 3:00 am.

His eyes squinted as he adjusted his line of vision, but the glowing kept getting brighter and brighter right in front of his bed. All he could do was close his eyes.

Then, something made his eyes open again, but this time it wasn't the light, it was a voice, a voice he knew all too well, a voice that had always soothed him—how many times, he couldn't count.

All Horatio knew that it was her…

His mother.

He thought that he was dreaming. His mother's been dead for over 20 years. It couldn't be her. It was impossible. Unless…

"_Horatio…"_

The red head hurriedly sat up, forgetting for a moment that he had on a protective sling. His eyes went wide as the bright light before him was changing, taking shape.

"_Don't be afraid…it's just me…"_

"M-mom?" the word slipped from his lips.

He couldn't believe it. It was really her. It was his mother, the first woman he had ever loved. She appeared with her soft, slightly wavy hair, wearing that elegant smile she always gave to him, and wearing all white. He saw her gentle brown eyes glisten with love and affection.

"It's…it's really you," stuttered Horatio, not being able to take his eyes off her.

The woman's smile became brighter, making her more beautiful than ever before. She got close to him, the glow following her. She held out her hand and caressed her son's cheek, saying, _"One moment, Angel, they'll be here. Just wait for a moment."_

The red head was speechless. He felt her. He felt her smooth hand touch his face. She was real, more real than he could have ever imagined. He was about to ask what he was suppose to wait for when the glow at the end of his bed grew bright again.

Suddenly, Horatio saw someone step out of the intense illumination and felt his heart break.

There they were, two of the loved ones that he had tragically lost not so long ago, looking at him with sincere expressions on their faces.

"_Hey,"_ the one near his left said, _"Big brother…"_

Raymund Caine walked closer, his eyes on his brother. He, too, was wearing all white. His appearance was the same, same dark hair that he had inherited from their mother and also the gentle brown eyes; the only difference was…he looked happy.

He wore the smile that Horatio had not seen in quite a long time; it was truly genuine.

"_Hey, there,"_ said the other one near the end of the bed.

Horatio froze at the instant he heard her voice and felt his heart tighten.

"Marisol…" he uttered.

He thought he was going to melt when his late wife smiled happily, looking at him. She went to his right side and placed her hand on his shoulder tenderly.

The short silence was broken by Raymund's chuckle, saying, _"If I were you, I'd breathe, Horatio."_

He took his brother's advance and took a deep breath, and let it go slowly through his mouth.

"Mom, Raymund, Marisol…how…?"

"_We came to visit you, Angel,"_ his mother answered kindly.

"_Mom, wouldn't it be weird if you kept calling Horatio 'Angel' in this current state of ours?" _chuckled Raymund, standing beside his mother.

"_Shush, Ray,"_ said their mother, giving her youngest son a look.

Raymund lowered his gaze sheepishly as Marisol giggled.

"_I met them the moment I left, Horatio,"_ Marisol said, looking at her husband in the eyes. _"They're amazing people. And I can't tell you how happy I was when I met her."_

"_It's just a shame she couldn't come,"_ Raymund added.

"You mean, you met…" Horatio couldn't say her name.

"_Yes, honey,"_ said his late wife.

"Did you meet…?" Again, not finding the words to say that was on his mind.

"_No, Angel,"_ this time his mother answered in a depressing tone.

"_She was everything you said she'd be," _said Marisol, smiling ruefully.

"I'm…I'm glad," was the only thing that Horatio could say.

"_Still stunned, big brother?"_ Raymund said, wearing a boyish smile, changing the atmosphere. _"You still have that deer-caught-by-the-headlights look."_

"_Ray,"_ their mother chided, _"stop teasing your brother."_

"No, it's okay, mom," said Horatio, finally accepting everything he was seeing and experiencing. "To be honest, I kind of missed that."

"_Do mine ears deceive me?"_ Raymund said mockingly, accompanied by poetic gestures. _"Big brother, Horatio Caine, not annoyed by little brother, Raymund Caine?" _

He called for Marisol's attention, whispering, but loud enough for everyone to hear, _"Maybe we're in the wrong room."_

Marisol giggled along with her brother-in-law, leaving his mother with her head shaking, saying, _"Sometimes, I don't know what to do with your little brother."_

Hearing his mother say that, Horatio laughed. He laughed like he did when he was a little boy, without a care in the world.

And it made his mother, brother and wife smile affectionately, seeing at how their loved one laughed, seeing how precious he was to them. They thought of his smile as genuine as it'll ever be, one that he rarely did, one that was truly warm and heartfelt.

"_It's so nice to see you happy again, honey," _said Marisol, giving his shoulder a tender squeeze.

"That's because I get to see my devoted mother, my obnoxious little brother, and my lovely wife again," Horatio said truthfully.

"_That's so sweet,"_ said Marisol, and gave her husband a tight embrace.

Horatio smiled pleasantly as he caught Raymund rolling his eyes.

"_You were right to marry Marisol, Horatio,"_ his mother said, _"She's such a beautiful and magnificent person."_

"Thanks, mom," replied Horatio, feeling Marisol blush beside him.

"_I just wanted to tell you something, big brother,"_ said Raymund, suddenly serious. _"Thanks."_

"For what?"

"_For taking good care of my wife and son,"_ he told him. _"Yelina and Ray-jay mean the world to me."_

"No problem, little brother," said Horatio with a nod of his head.

"_It's just a shame that I didn't listen to you when you told me to stop with what I was doing,"_ Raymund continued despondently. _"It's too late now."_

"Don't worry, Raymund," Horatio reassured him. "I will always take care of Yelina and Ray junior."

His brother smiled and was being comforted by their mother, who gave him a warm hug. He felt Marisol squeeze his shoulder again and turned to her, giving her a smile.

"_And thank you, Horatio,"_ said Marisol, _"for taking care of Eric for me. He really needs someone right now, you know? I'm just glad that someone is you."_

"I understand, Marisol," returned Horatio.

Horatio turned to his mother and saw her give a sad smile, and suddenly felt uneasy.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"_Nothing, Angel,"_ smiled his mother, teary-eyed. _"It just pains me that we can't stay like this forever."_

"W-what do you mean?"

"_I know that we just got here but, we have to go, sweetie,"_ said Marisol, caressing her husband's red hair. _"We have to go back."_

"No," Horatio said, feeling his throat go dry. "Stay."

"_As much as we like to, big brother, we can't,"_ Raymund told him. _"We only get to see you for a short time."_

"You can't just go," reasoned Horatio.

"_We have to, honey,"_ said Marisol, giving him a sweet smile.

"Then let me come with you," Horatio exclaimed without thinking. "I want to come with you."

"_You can't,"_ said Raymund glumly.

"Why not?"

"_Because it isn't your time yet,"_ he answered straightforwardly.

"_It's going to be okay, Angel,"_ his mother said. _"We'll see you again, don't worry."_

"But I don't want you to leave," Horatio said, sounding like a little boy.

"_I'm sorry but there's nothing we can do,"_ she said to him.

"I don't want to be alone again," Horatio reacted, choking back a sob. "Please, don't leave me alone again."

"_Angel,"_ his mother said, smiling as she cupped her son's cheek. _"You were never alone. We never left your side, even for a second."_

Horatio placed his hand over his mother's, feeling her warmth. His eyes were beginning to water. He didn't want to let go of her, never again.

Katherine was touched by her eldest son's reaction of them leaving, and tears fell freely from her eyes. She sat on the bed, in front of him and lifted his chin, saying, _" Remember, Angel, you are not alone, so don't you fear. Even though we're miles away, I'm by your side."_

Horatio looked at his mother, seeing her give him a warm smile.

"_I know what you go through everyday, the times when it seemed that nothing can go right and you wanted to just give up, and the times when you wander, afraid and alone,"_ she continued, crying tears of joy. _"I wanted to take away your pain so badly, but I couldn't, so I prayed for you to have the strength to make it through it all._

"_In this world, when life can be so tough, you must be strong. Just believe in yourself and don't let fear overcome you,"_ she said, face glistening with tears. _"I want you to just hold on tight, even if you feel your heart is breaking. Reach into your soul, even if you can't see a bright tomorrow. Because, if you have the strength to live, you can always take another look from the other side and you'll be able to see…"_

Katherine gathered Horatio in her arms and calmed her son, who was now shedding tears of sadness and sorrow.

"_It's sad, Angel, I know. The stars may live for a long time, but it doesn't mean they'll stay like that forever. It doesn't mean that the same days will repeat over and over without end,"_ she said, rocking her son back and forth in her arms.

She then released her hold on him and laid his head gently on the soft pillow, tears lessening.

"_Just open up your mind and close your eyes. Look inside yourself, there's a light shining there, growing,"_ Katherine smiled. _"I want you to believe that everything is going to be okay, that you have us with you in times of joy and misery, and that you will never be left alone no matter where you are."_

Horatio calmed down and stop the tears from descending as he looked up at his mother, smiling down at him, her eyes filled with love.

"_Aw, look, mom,"_ said Raymund in mock concern. _"You made big brother cry."_

"Shut up, Raymund."

Horatio laughed a little with his mother, brother, and wife, the three of them surrounding him, protecting him.

Tenderly, his mother wiped the tears off his face with her warm and gentle hands. She then took his left hand and opened it, placing something that flickered because of the light.

"_You were supposed to receive this when you turned fourteen,"_ she said, closing his palm and wiping her own tears. _"My mother gave it to me when I turned fourteen and I've kept it ever since. Please take good care of it. It's really precious to me. And I hope you'll like it."_

She then leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead.

"_Now, it's time for us to go, Angel,"_ she said, smiling sadly, getting off the bed. _"Just don't forget, if you need to see us, just open up your mind and close your eyes, and take a look from the other side..."_

Horatio nodded, unable to speak.

The light was getting brighter again as they were ready to depart.

"_Be strong, big brother,"_ Raymund said. _"For everybody."_

"_Remember, Horatio,"_ Marisol added, _"you are not alone."_

"_We love you…"_

Horatio swallowed the tight knot in his throat that prevented him to say his good-bye to them. He felt a single tear escape his eye as his mother, brother, and wife were slowly fading, along with the glow around him.

He shut his eyes and squeezed his left hand…

………………………………………………………………………………

He was awake the instant somebody squeezed back, but he did not open his eyes. He just listened, listened to the people around him, talking.

"…Stetler was being an ass in a good way…"

"H needs to buy casual more," interrupted a Cuban voice. "I mean, he has nothing but suits, dress shirts and pajamas."

"Doesn't he have, I don't know…a simple tee-shirt?" said a voice near his right.

"I've been rummaging in H's closet and there's no simple anywhere," the Cuban voice answered.

"Now, I know what to buy him for Christmas!"

"Ryan!" said a southern voice at his left. "If you don't shut up, I will tell Alexx that you were the one who spilled coffee on the autopsy table!"

Silence.

"Thank you," said the voice politely.

"What's this…?"

Before he knew it, the whole room silenced, only to listen to a serene song that came near his left side, right next to his ear. The innocent tune filled the room and lightened the mood for everybody. By the time the calming melody stopped, nobody uttered a single syllable.

Horatio's eyes fluttered open.

"Horatio," said the blond woman at his left, "you're awake."

He let his eyes get used to the light before opening them entirely. He shifted a bit and carefully sat up, remembering his sling.

"Hey, H," said Ryan, the one at his right.

"Hey…" he said groggily.

At that moment, everybody's face lit up upon hearing him talk again. He could've sworn that he saw Mister Wolfe leap in joy.

"Hey, handsome!" said Calleigh happily.

"Calleigh…" he said hoarsely.

"Oh, here, drink this," she said, giving him a glass of water and putting the straw into his mouth.

"Thank you," Horatio said, leaning back. He looked by the corner. "Eric…"

"Hey, H," said his smiling brother-in-law. "Just picked up a few things for you."

Before Horatio could reply, Alexx Woods came in as the door opened. Seeing him, she said, "Baby, you're awake."

"Hey, ma'am," greeted Horatio with a smile.

"And, apparently, talking," she added.

Horatio chuckled as she approached him and gave him a peck on the cheek. "How're you feeling, honey?"

"Wonderful," Horatio said. "Thank you."

"Your welcome, baby."

Horatio remembered what had happened last night. Either if it was a dream or it was real, he didn't care. The only thing that mattered to him was what they said: He wasn't alone.

He squeezed his left hand and felt something rubbing against his palm. He brought his fist close to his face and—wouldn't you know it—something fell out, dangling between his fingers. It was a little silver chain necklace, with a little silver crucifix and amulet. He placed down the necklace at his lap and picked it up by the amulet. He looked closer.

On one side of the amulet was a carved picture of the mother of Christ and on the other, Mary holding her son, Jesus. He smiled.

He looked around the people that were in the room with him; Calleigh giggled as Alexx stood next to her, shaking her head. Eric and Ryan were shouting at the top of their lungs, trying to convince the other who's right.

The door suddenly exploded open, and in came Rick, bellowing, "Would you two shut up!?!? I can hear your shouting out at the HALLWAY!!"

"You're right, mom," Horatio muttered, putting his attention back at his angelic gift and setting aside the noise that he was hearing. "I'm not alone…"

"You say somethin', Handsome?" said Calleigh, looking away from Alexx as she choked the life out of Rick, with Eric and Ryan cheering.

"It's nothing, Calleigh," Horatio said, smiling and bringing down the necklace.

He looked at his bedside table and saw the music box that was given to him yesterday, along with all the get-well-soon cards. Apparently, somebody opened the package without him knowing, but his smile never wavered. In fact, it kept on growing.

"It's nothing…"

END…

…………………………………………………………………..

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

I'M DONE!!!!!

I've finished my first fan fic!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I received more than a hundred reviews!!!!!!!!!

AND I gained more than twelve thousand hits!!!!!

WOOOOHOOOO!!!!!!!!!

And it's all thanks to……….

YOU!!!! My READERS!!!!!!

Thank you very much for making my first fic such a great success!!!!

I bow at your never ending dedication!!!!

And to repay you guys for your out-of-this-world patience, I have decided to give you an action-packed sequel!! Entitled…….

MISTAKES.

I am sure that you guys will love it. I've already left several clues in this story on what's to be expected in my upcoming fics. If you have figured them out, all I need to say is…you're a genius! But I am sure that you won't be able to predict what's going to happen in the sequel…

Kiuna'yukina don't you dare open your mouth!!!!! I mean it, young lady, not a word!!!

(Clears throat!) Now that THAT'S settled, once again, Horatio, Rick, Calleigh, Eric, Ryan, Speed, Alexx, and I thank you for your unlimited supply of time, lack of complaint, and enthusiasm.

I hope that you guys will send me the same reviews you happily left for me to read in my other stories and, for now, we bid you farewell because we have to get ready for our much needed vacation…don't worry, it'll be short…

I know this is getting old but….THANKS AGAIN!!!

Little Horatio…mission complete!!


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